6 reasons SASSA could reject your grant in 2025

Last month, SASSA announced a new reason for denying grants in 2025. The agency issued a press release stating it had begun ‘targeted biometric verification’ for beneficiaries with unverified accounts. Instead of following the usual three-month notice period for grant reviews, SASSA withheld payments from certain beneficiaries in May and then instructed them to contact the agency.

In essence, SASSA will deny your grant in 2025 if you don’t use a verified 13-digit South African ID number. Although some feared this move might unfairly affect beneficiaries without smart ID cards featuring a digital photo and fingerprints, SASSA has so far only targeted potentially fraudulent or unverified accounts.

SASSA WILL DENY YOUR GRANT IN 2025

Nevertheless, the South African Social Security Agency has defended its actions saying the initiative is eradicating fraud and corruption. Older Person Grants and all three Childcare Grants are still being paid incorrectly to long-dead recipients, in some cases.

Many people believe families are failing to report deaths and are continuing to collect government grants. However, even if this seems harmless, it still amounts to fraud and theft of taxpayer funds. So, here are six reasons SASSA will deny your grant in 2025 if you don’t comply…

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR GRANT IS DENIED

First of all, if you’re one of the millions applying for government social welfare, but don’t know why you were not approved, you can check exactly why your SASSA grant was denied HERE. Simply input your ID and cellphone number, and the agency must list a legitimate reason.

Furthermore, if you’re not happy with why SASSA will deny your grant in 2025, your next course of action is to appeal the decision. You have 90 days to do so from the date of your denial.

Never assume there was a technical or human error; you must follow up with the agency. And, to appeal, you can follow the link to the Department of Social Development HERE. Now, let’s get into the six most probably reasons SASSA will deny your grant in 2025 …

1. INCOMPLETE APPLICATION/VERIFICATION FAILURE

As mentioned, the agency is on a mission to tighten its belt, so SASSA will deny your grant in 2025 if anything in your application is missing. So, return to your application and ensure you provide accurate and complete information and all supporting documents required. Likewise, even the simplest errors, like a misspelled name, or wrong ID number will lead to verification failure. This all needs to be correct so SASSA doesn’t think you’re committing fraud

2. ALTERNATIVE/ADDITIONAL INCOME

SASSA will deny your grant in 2025 if it finds you have any sort of alternative income other than the one you listed. SASSA Old-Age Grants have their own asset and means test. And SASSA Children’s Grants only means (no assets), but if it turns out you’ve exceeded them you will be cut-off from your grant.  

3. ALREADY A GRANT RECIPIENT/GOVERNMENT BENEFIT

SASSA focuses on supporting South Africa’s most financially vulnerable citizens. As a result, if you’re already receiving a social grant—whether it’s for an Older Person, Disability, or another type—you won’t qualify for an additional one. This rule also applies to other government benefits, such as the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) or the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), which will disqualify you from receiving a SASSA grant.

4. BEYOND AGE LIMITS

This one is fairly obvious, but many SASSA social welfare grants in 2025 have a strict age component to their eligibility. Any Children’s Grant only applies to minors who are under the age of 18. And all Older Person Grants are mandated for over 60s only.

5. FRAUDULENT ACTIVITY/PREVIOUS ISSUES

SASSA actively works to prevent fraud and protect the integrity of its social welfare system. If your personal details don’t match records from the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), the South African Revenue Service (SARS), or your bank, SASSA may flag your application as potentially fraudulent. To avoid this, make sure all your documents and information are accurate before applying.

6. NO GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES ALLOWED

Employees of any government institution – not just SASSA – may not receive any form of SASSA social grant. And can you believe that thousands of skelms within SASSA are still applying for a receiving grants on the sly?