How part-time work can affect your SASSA grant

Many South Africans occasionally take on temporary jobs to earn extra money, but can payments for part-time work affect your social grant? Here's what SASSA has to say.

Millions of South Africans rely on a social grant for financial assistance, with Gauteng being one of the provinces with the highest numbers of beneficiaries.

With so many people dependent on the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), questions may arise about what happens when beneficiaries earn extra money.

Some people may take on part-time work, whether it is cleaning houses, doing gardening jobs or temporarily filling in for a shift at a supermarket. But could these payments affect your SASSA grant?

SASSA spokesperson Dr Paseka Letsatsi explains that several factors are considered when determining whether someone qualifies for a social grant.

"These include, among others, the applicant's marital status, the type of grant being applied for, the applicable income threshold, and the value of the applicant's or household's assets and property holdings."

Although some beneficiaries may worry that receiving money for casual work could automatically result in their grant being stopped, Letsatsi explains that an isolated or once-off deposit does not automatically disqualify someone from receiving a grant.

According to Letsatsi, SASSA does not only consider money paid into a beneficiary’s bank account. The agency also looks at factors such as whether the person’s income falls within or exceeds the prescribed threshold for their specific grant, their marital status, and the value of their assets and property holdings."Monthly income thresholds are published annually through the Government Gazette. The key consideration is whether a beneficiary's income falls within or exceeds the prescribed threshold applicable to the specific grant type."

She added that beneficiaries should accurately declare all sources of income and inform SASSA of changes in their financial circumstances when required.

"Beneficiaries are encouraged to declare all sources of income accurately and to provide any supporting information or documentation requested by SASSA for verification purposes. Failure to disclose relevant information may affect the assessment of eligibility for social assistance."

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