SASSA Older Persons Grant rent expense, Digi Mart USA News (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa): A retired caregiver in KwaZulu-Natal says her monthly pension is gone long before the next payment date, even though she has no complaints about how the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) handles her grant.
Avril Lloyd, who is over 65, has received the Older Persons Grant for more than five years. She says the grant is her only income and does not cover her basic needs, leaving her with nothing by the end of each month.
Lloyd shared her experience in The South African’s SASSA grant survey. According to the report, the old age pension pays R2 400 per month for people aged 60 and older, applying from April 2026.
Almost all of that money goes to one expense. Lloyd uses her grant mainly for rent and housing costs, and as a private renter she has no buffer when rent consumes her monthly payment.
The pressure reaches the dinner table. Lloyd confirmed that someone in her household went without food in the past month, and she says she regularly struggles to make ends meet.
Lloyd spent her working life in childcare and caregiving. Today she can only travel under five kilometres for work, which limits any chance of earning extra income.
She has never applied for additional government support because she did not know what else was available to her.
When asked what one thing she would change about SASSA, she said she wants the grant amount increased. She said, “Would be really grate if the pension amounts were substantially increased as my Grant only covers my rent.”
Lloyd has no complaints about how SASSA runs her grant. Her payments go straight into her bank account, and she rates SASSA’s communication with recipients as very good.
She said she has no biggest challenge with SASSA grants.
The report notes that the system delivers her pension on time every month, yet she still cannot afford both housing and regular meals. For now, her grant pays the landlord, and little else.
The article invites readers who receive a SASSA grant to share their stories through the publisher’s survey.
