As of January 2026, the SASSA Older Persons Grant (pension) and other significant social grants may slightly increase from their last rise in October 2025. The Old Age Grant rose slightly but remained the same for all the beneficiary categories-including the older persons, disability, war veteran, and care dependency grants. For example, the Old Age Grant moved from around R2,310 to R2,320 per month, with beneficiaries aged 75 and older receiving a slightly higher rate.
With high levels of talk around the cost of living’s unprecedented price rise, SASSA has stuck to the gun of pronouncing further great hikes now in 2026. Media reports including wild gossip of possibly shooting up to the R400s for Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grants or pension grants have been refuted and stood against by the official lines.
218- Pressure from Pensioners and Civil Society
The elderly and advocacy groups have been actively pushing for a larger SASSA pension increase. In late September 2025, elderly groups voiced out their concerns to Parliament, asking for the grant to be raised significantly, in some cases arguing as high as R5,000 per month to counterbalance the high cost of living and inflation. The government, for its part, has noted these concerns but declares that the budget and demographics make it very challenging to accommodate various pension increases.
On another note, several of reports have outlined the struggles of many pensioners, notwithstanding the increases that lasted, with old individuals around South Africa maintaining that the current grant goes short of the cheapest of living expense either in health or groceries due to incessant inflation.
Government Budget and Future Prospects.
The South African budgetary process is central to determining how future grants might be raised. Until now, most SASSA grant increases have been announced during the annual Budget Speech nationally, which sets the funding priorities for social assistance programs. Either SASSA, the Treasury, or other entities, the grant increases for 2026/27 had not been officially announced or confirmed as of February 2026: they were partially spoken of in the last budget for the 2025/26 financial year.
Analysts observe that while the government does recognize the need for support to the vulnerable groups, pensioners, the intricate fiscal environment and the escalation of social welfare grant payouts mean, that heavy increments in the future are fairly contemptible.
What Pensioners Must Watch Out For
This year 2026 is all about testing the watchful patience of beneficiaries and activists.
- Official Affordability Pronouncements: It remains to be seen from the next budget speech if the Older Persons Grant gets increased or the other social grants.
- Bills on the Cost of Living from the Government: Some Ministers and Parliament committees have kept updating on how inflation and cost-of-living pressures will stir the melting pot for social assistance programmes.
- Public Advocacy and Petitions: Further pressure from pensioners’ associations could dent current policy developments, noting well that new change is easier through ongoing advocacy.
Conclusion
As it stands, the only confirmed increment in the SASSA pension payments was in October 2025 and there was not any assurance of an additional increment in 2026 with respect with what has been applied hitherto. Pensioners and other beneficiaries worried about the inadequacy of the grants continue to call for adjustments that reflect rising costs of living and rising inflation, but any further movement would depend on the government’s budgetary priorities and economic conditions.