The Care Dependency Grant (CDG) is still one of the largest social programs that support the South African government and provide a full-time caregiver for children with severe physical and mental disabilities. The grant has become a significant financial relief for families in 2025 just like in the past time, The grant amount, payment dates, beneficiaries in appeal or review, and the procedure are all summarized below.
Grant Amount & Payment Dates 2025
- How Much You Get: The monthly amount for the Care Dependency Grant for 2025 is R2,310 which is the same as in the previous year. This is also in line with the adjustment of the other grants, so it is not surprising.
- When are Payments Made: SASSA usually allocates the payments in the first week of each month. The payments are made according to the established schedule to prevent any disruptions in processing.
- The Care Dependency Grant is typically paid out on the same day as child grants. An example of this is September 2025 when the Care Dependency Grant was disbursed together with other government payments for children.
- If the scheduled payment day falls on a weekend or a public holiday, then the payment is made on the next working day.
- Beneficiaries are advised to confirm with SASSA or check the official calendar for the exact payment date for their area.
Eligibility Criteria and Conditions
The Care Dependency Grant shall be granted only if both the caregiver and child fulfill specific criteria:
Who the Caregiver Is
- The caregiver must be a South African citizen, a permanent resident, or a refugee recognized by the state and living in South Africa.
- Generally, the child’s mother or father, the main caregiver, or the foster parent assigned by the court are the ones who take care of the child.
- They have to go through a means test based on the income limits; winning is necessary.
Child’s Qualifications
- Should be less than 18 years of age.
- The child in the light of the case, undergoing treatment for a severe mental or physical disability, then, he/she is in need of full-time care. A medical officer from the state will assess the case and decide.
- Should not be an inmate of a public institution for more than six months continuously and should not be under total or partial con?nement either.
Means Test
- Maximum gross annual income for the sole caregiver is R223,200.
- The maximum limit of the annual income for two caregivers is R446,400.
- Note: The income limits may be changed every now and then and specific cases or re-evaluations might apply.
Grant Lapse or Suspension
The grant can be stopped or revoked when the following happens:
- The child becomes an adult (turns 18).
- The child passes away.
- The caregiver omits to collect the grant for three consecutive months.
- The child is permanently transferred to a state institution.
- A re-evaluation indicates that the standards are no longer being met (e.g. the medical condition or income has changed).
SASSA regularly conducts assessments and may notify the recipients about a review or life-certificate requirement three months in advance.
Appeal and Review
If SASSA ends up rejecting your application, you can still go for an internal appeal through SASSA and thus follow their rules and deadlines. To ensure that your appeal is taken seriously, you should add more evidence (medical, income) to it. SASSA may stop making payments during the review period; however, this will be the case only until the review is completed.
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