Less than 1% of Sassa budget aids legal foreigners

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Opens in new windowOpens in new windowOpens in new windowOpens in new windowOpens in new windowOpens in new windowOpens in new windowOpens in new windowEnter fullscreen mode displaying this image.ExpandThe department of social development has revealed that R1.27bn of Sassa grants was spent on permanent residents and refugees during the 2025/26 financial year. File picture: 123RF/Instinia The department of social development has revealed that it spent about R1.27bn on South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) grants for legal foreign nationals such as permanent residents and refugees during the 2025/26 financial year.

The figures were disclosed in a written reply to a parliamentary question by ATM MP Vuyo Zungula.

According to the department, expenditure on foreign nationals eligible for social assistance accounted for less than 1% of the total social assistance budget for 2025/2026. Payments were distributed across various grant types, including the care dependency grant, child support grant, disability grant, foster child grant, grant-in-aid, and old age grant.

A total of R1.12bn was spent on permanent residents. The old-age grant and child support grant accounted for the largest shares, receiving R931.5m and R134.5m, respectively.

Expenditure on refugees totalled R150.8m. The child support grant and old age grant topped the list, costing the department R105.8m and R32.7m, respectively.

An additional R10.6m in social relief of distress (SRD) grants was paid to qualifying foreign nationals, including holders of special Angolan dispensation permits, Lesotho exemption permits, Zimbabwean exemption permits, and valid asylum seeker permits. This represented just 0.03% of the total SRD grant budget.

The department said SRD grant assistance is strictly limited to qualifying individuals between the ages of 18 and 60 who have insufficient financial means. Eligible groups include South African citizens, permanent residents, recognised refugees, special dispensation/exemption permit holders, and asylum seekers with valid section 22 permits under the Refugees Act.

To qualify, recipients must be registered on either the department of home affairs database or Sassa’s social grant system with a valid unique identification number. Furthermore, they must not reside in a government-funded institution or unreasonably refuse employment or educational opportunities.

The department emphasised that it is constitutionally obligated to ensure access to social security for all eligible residents.

“In terms of regulation 2(e) of the social assistance regulations, a person qualifies for a social grant if he or she is a South African citizen, a permanent resident, or a refugee residing in the Republic of South Africa,” the department said.

“Accordingly, Sassa is legally mandated to provide social assistance to qualifying South African citizens, permanent residents, and recognised refugees residing in South Africa who meet the prescribed eligibility criteria.”

The department reiterated that social assistance is strictly unavailable to anyone unlawfully present in the country.

“Sassa does not provide social grants or SRD benefits to illegal immigrants or any person unlawfully present in the republic. The agency’s eligibility verification processes, including verification against department of home affairs records, are designed to ensure compliance with the legislative framework governing social assistance.”

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