Rumors were all over the place in 2025 regarding SASSA’s suggestion to make the whole year social grants double. However, these were nothing but rumors after all as SASSA itself refused the mid-year payment doubling or grant doubling rumors officially. As a matter of fact, in May 2025, SASSA published a media release telling the recipients to disregard the double payment rumors for June 2025 and to consider them as “fake news” by calling them “fake news”.
Increases that were supposed to happen in 2025 were in April and October.
- The main increase of April was 2025. Among other things, the Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said that the planned enhancement of the social grants in the 2025/26 Budget would be realized on this day.
- The nature of some of these increases is Old Age, Disability, War Veterans, and Care Dependency Grants that grew by R130 in most cases.
- Child Support Grant, Foster Care Grant, and Grant-in-Aid were also increased (e.g., Child Support from R530 to R560).
- The April 2025 increase was the main change that granted the grants adjusting along the inflationary pressures and the budget limitations.
Payment Schedule for October 2025
The usual SASSA Grant Payment Calendar for October will reflect the small (R10) increases. The modifications are: Old Age Grants: Thursday, 2 October 2025, Disability Grants: Friday, 3 October 2025, and Children’s & other grants: Monday, 6 October 2025. The beneficiaries are recommended to inquire at their banks whether the additional R10 has been deposited into their accounts.
Elucidating the “Double Increase” Claim
The matter of double increase in 2025 with regards to SASSA (South African Social Security Agency) grants has been a point of public debate. The case is that two distinct upward shifts in the same financial year, one in April and the other in October, have been read, perhaps, as one major increase with a smaller additional amount thus not actually doubling the grants.
Points to Note & Caveats
The “double increase” narrative is a misunderstanding: no doubling of grants is intended, only two different increments. Compared to the April leap, the October increase is small and just incremental (R10) in nature. In 2025, SASSA will be confronted with a hard choice regarding Postbank contracts — however, beneficiaries can be confident that there will be no delays in the payments. The beneficiaries have to be alert to the circulating rumors of grants increase that are unexpected or huge — they should only rely on the official SASSA communications.
also read : SASSA Grant Suspension: No Payments If Monthly Income Exceeds R8,070