The South African Social Security Agency has confirmed that social grant payments for May 2026 will begin on Tuesday 5 May for older persons, followed by disability grants on 6 May and children’s grants on 7 May, with beneficiaries whose accounts have been flagged for review receiving payment on 8 May.
More than 18 million South Africans depend on social grants, making each month’s payment schedule among the most-searched government information in the country.
The staggered payout system is designed to manage queues and prevent congestion at payment points and ATMs across the country.
SASSA May 2026 payment dates confirmed
Older persons receiving the old age grant, currently set at R2,400 a month for those under 75, will be paid first on 5 May.
Disability grant recipients, also receiving R2,400 a month, follow on 6 May, with children’s grant payments from the agency falling on 7 May. Beneficiaries who have received notifications that their accounts require review should expect payment on 8 May.
Grant amounts are unchanged for May 2026. The Older Persons Grant, Disability Grant and Care Dependency Grant each pay out at R2,400 a month.
The Foster Child Grant is set at R1,180 a month, and the Child Support Grant, which reaches the largest number of individual recipients, is set at R560 a month.
What to do if your SASSA payment does not arrive
SASSA has advised beneficiaries who do not receive payment on their scheduled date to visit their nearest SASSA local office for assistance.
The agency attributed potential delays to mismatched banking details, outstanding verifications or account-related queries. Beneficiaries are encouraged to ensure their banking and identity information is up to date ahead of the May payout window.
The staggered system has been in place for several years and has generally reduced the congestion at retailers and ATMs that was a persistent feature of single-day payouts. Beneficiaries can collect grants at SASSA-approved payment points, Post Office outlets and via bank-linked accounts, depending on their registration method.
With May payments coinciding with the largest confirmed petrol price increase in several months, household budgets for grant-dependent families face additional pressure as transport, food and utilities costs continue to rise.
The timing has prompted renewed calls from civil society organisations for the government to consider an above-inflation adjustment to grant amounts in the next review cycle.
What happens next
SASSA has indicated it will continue the current staggered schedule for the remainder of the 2025/26 financial year.
The next full payment schedule update, covering June 2026, is expected to be published on the agency’s official platforms in the second week of May.
