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The Disability Grant varies but the maximum amount that can be awarded is R1010 a month (2009). The government gave out a total of R16.5 billion in the 2008/09 budget for this type of grant. You can be paid a Disability Grant if you are over the age of 18 years and are not able to work because of mental or physical disability. It can only be awarded on the basis of a medical doctor's certificate and is usually given for six months at a time, depending on the nature of a person's disability. It can be awarded to people suffering from AIDS if a doctor deems the person as unable to work.
How do I know if I can claim this grant? You are eligible if:
- You are a South African citizen or a permanent resident
- You live in South Africa
- You are over the age of 18 and are not able to work because of your mental or physical disabilities
- You have a government hospital medical report describing your disabilities
- You will be disabled for six months or longer
- You accept medical treatment or help
- You are not receiving care in an institution that is funded by the state*
- You are not already receiving another type of grant (you can, however, receive Child Support and Foster Care Grants if you are able to function as the primary caregiver of a child or children)
- You and your spouse meet the requirements of the Means Test
*On 26 February 2009, the Department of Social Development amended the Social Assistance Regulations. These regulations set the conditions of eligibility for all recipients of social grants in the country. The amendment corrects the definition of an "institution funded by the state" to exclude patients in hospitals. This clarifies that patients who are in hospital are entitled to continue receiving their social grants, including patients being isolated with multi-drug resistant (MDR) or extensively drug resistant (XDR) TB.
The Means Test
Ask your social worker or community organisation to help you work out if you meet the requirements of the Means Test, because it is more complicated than for the Child Support Grant. If you are single (you are not married or you do not have a partner), your income must be less than R23 500 per year, and your assets must be less than R451 200. Assets are things that you own, such as a car, a television and an oven. If you own a house and live in it (you do not rent it out), then this house is NOT counted as part of your assets. If you are married your joint income must not be more than R43,700. Your assets must amount to less than R902,400. The rule about your house is the same as if you were single.
Before you go to the Social Security (SASSA) office make sure that you have the following documents with you:
- Your Identity Document (ID) book (with the 13-number bar code)
- Financial statements for the Means Test. You need to take proof of your income such as bank account statements for the last three months or pay slips, and papers about any savings you have
- Your UIF book or certificate, if you are unemployed
- Your medical report. You will also be examined by the state doctor at the Welfare Office so that your disability can be assessed
- Papers about your marital status. If you are single, you need papers to say that you are single (these papers are called affidavits); if you are married, you need your marriage certificate; if you are divorced, you need your divorce order; if you are a widow or widower, you need to bring the death certificate of your partner
If you do not have all of these papers, contact your social worker, local advice office or one of the NPOs in the AIDSbuzz Directory that help with Social Grants. For more information you can phone the Department’s free hotline 0800 601 011 for advice or go to www.sassa.gov.za
Is the grant awarded to people living with HIV and AIDS? Yes, many people living with AIDS qualify for and receive the Disability Grant. There are no exact criteria on which to base the assessment, which is left up to the doctor. Usually, if your CD4 count falls below 200 you will qualify for the grant. However, some people with CD4 counts of less than 200 may still be assessed as fit enough to work. Equally some people with CD4 counts above 200 who are very sick with TB or pneumonia may qualify for the grant.
You will be initiated on antiretroviral treatment (ART) when your CD4 count falls below 200. If your CD4 count climbs to above 200 with treatment and you are judged as fit for work by the doctor, you will no longer qualify for the Disability Grant.
How long is the grant awarded for?
The Disability Grant is usually given for a period of six months at a time, although with permanent disability it can be given for a longer period. After each six-month period you need to be re-assessed and examined by a doctor to confirm whether you still qualifiy for the grant. When you turn 60 (if you are a woman) or 65 (if you a man), your Disability Grant will be automatically converted into an Older Persons Grant, which provides the same amount of money.
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Social Grants 
