Pensioners will have to wait until February 2027 to learn whether the SASSA Older Persons Grant will go up. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said no final decision has been made, Cape Town Etc reported.
According to the report, the government is still looking at proposed increases as part of its 2027/28 budget process. It is weighing the money it has against other spending needs.
Godongwana gave the update in a written reply in Parliament. He was answering uMkhonto weSizwe Party MP Adil Nchabeleng, who asked if the government was thinking about a bigger increase to the grant.
The minister said the proposed changes were still being checked through the Medium Term Expenditure Framework process. Cabinet must approve them before they are announced with the national budget in February.
This means there is no confirmed new pension amount yet. The report said this is true despite claims that may be shared on social media.
Godongwana also disputed claims that yearly increases to the grant are usually only between R10 and R20, according to the report. He said grant holders got an extra R130 a month in 2025/26, which was a 5.9% increase.
In 2026/27, the grant went up by R85 a month, or 3.7%, the minister said.
He said inflation is only one of the things the government looks at when it sets increases.
“While social grant increases are informed by inflation trends, including projected CPI and food price inflation, the level of adjustments ultimately depends on the fiscal resources available and prevailing economic conditions,” Godongwana said.
According to the report, the government aims to protect what grants can buy. It must balance help for poor households against its other spending plans.
The report said yearly grant increases are separate from SASSA reviews of each person’s eligibility. In these reviews, SASSA checks whether people still qualify. It looks at changes in income, work and marital status.
Grant holders who get a review notice should respond to SASSA. Failing to cooperate can lead to the grant being suspended, the report said.
Changes to payment dates are also separate from increases. November payments were moved earlier because of the local government elections. Older persons received their grants on 30 October.
Until the government announces its decision, current grant amounts stay in place. The report advised grant holders to keep their personal and bank details up to date and to rely on official SASSA notices.
It also warned pensioners about scams that promise early access to a higher grant. Some scams ask for bank details, PINs or one-time passwords. No one has to pay a fee to receive an approved grant increase.
Any increase will be announced with the national budget in February 2027, once Cabinet has approved it.
Source: this article is based on reporting by Cape Town ETC. Image: Cape Town ETC. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.