Pensioners ask Parliament to increase grant to R5,000
“We are not asking for charity, we are asking for justice and dignity”
Western Cape pensioners have petitioned government to increase their grants. Illustration: Lisa Nelson
- Western Cape pensioners appeared before Parliament on Wednesday to ask that the Older Persons’ Grant be increased from R2,320 to R5,000 a month.
- They complained of high living costs, suspended grants, long queues and poor treatment at SASSA offices.
- The Social Development department acknowledged the demand but said budgetary constraints and an ageing population make increases difficult.
“We are not asking for charity, we are asking for justice and dignity.” This was the message from Western Cape pensioners who petitioned Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Social Development on Wednesday to increase the Older Persons’ Grant to R5,000 a month.
The grant is currently R2,320 for people aged 60 to 74 and R2,340 for those over 75. About four million people receive the government pension.
The group first marched to Parliament in August, handing over a memorandum of demands. On Wednesday, their representative Jeff van Wyk told MPs about the hardships faced by the elderly.
Van Wyk said the petition reflects growing frustration among elderly people in communities such as Ravensmead, Khayelitsha, Elsies River, Hanover Park and Langa. “Our elders, the backbone of our families and communities, face systemic failures that strip them of their dignity.”
Pensioners are demanding that the grant be increased by a minimum of 6% annually. The current amount does not cover food, rent, electricity and other essentials, they said.
Other grievances include poor treatment at SASSA offices, long queues, payment delays, and grants suspended without explanation.
Social Development Deputy Minister Ganief Hendricks said the call for an increase is “not taken for granted”.
The 2022 Census estimates show more than five million people in the country are 60 or older. “Approximately half of older persons live in households without any employed household members. For these households, social grants play an important role in sustaining vulnerable families,” Hendricks said.
But he warned of severe financial limits: “Given the substantial pressures on the fiscus, the government has had to make difficult decisions to bring public finances back under control.”
SA Social Security Agency (SASSA) CEO Themba Matlou said the grant had grown from R1,350 in 2014 to R2,310 in 2025, with an extra R75 for those over 75, and an additional R560 for those who require full-time care. “The grant is the highest paid compared to the other social grants,” he said.
He emphasised that SASSA does not determine grant amounts. “Social grant amounts are based on legislative and policy frameworks, fiscal sustainability, and consultations between the Department of Social Development, National Treasury and other ministries.”
Pensioners complained to MPs that SASSA’s grant review process often results in delays without communication, leaving them without income for months. Reviews involve SASSA periodically verifying beneficiaries’ income and circumstances to ensure they still qualify under the means test. Beneficiaries are notified to submit updated documents. If they fail to respond or provide information by the deadline, their grants may be temporarily suspended.
Matlou responded saying that the reviews were “not a punitive measure, but a compliance mechanism”. He said beneficiaries could appeal against any suspension or termination.
He also acknowledged poor service delivery and system failures at SASSA offices. Complaints about staff behaviour were being addressed through training and performance monitoring, Matlou said.
DA MP Alexandra Abrahams said, “No petition or PowerPoint presentation could ever capture the pain and suffering in the seniors’ eyes” when they marched to Parliament in August. She blamed corruption and mismanagement in government for limiting meaningful increases to social grants.
DSD deputy director-general Brenda Sibeko said the Older Persons’ Grant is currently above all poverty lines but acknowledged it is still not enough. “This does not mean that the money they’re getting is adequate to live on, because the cost of living is much higher,” Sibeko said. She added that older people should also be supported with subsidised access to water, electricity and other services.
Hendricks said the department had asked the finance minister to “look closely at the older person’s grant” when finalising the budget.
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Letters
Dear Editor
I fully concur with the older men and women on this petition, the veracity of the matter is that millions and billions of the state coffer are currently sitting in the houses of a few corrupt politicians and individuals who are connected with politicians across the country.
The sad part is that the individuals and corrupt politicians, including government officials, now telling us that there is no money for an increase is fallacy to me.
We have recently witnessed raids being conducted on corrupt individuals who stole billions through government departments to buy Lamborghinis and a number of properties costing millions and without getting the money in a correct way.
The policy framework and legislative framework cited as the regulators for grants increase don't really address the predicament the old people are facing daily with high levels of unemployment and many can't afford food with the grants.
At least a once-off extra bit of money in December each year, where an extra R1,000 can be allocated until they find measures to properly increase the grants.
Dear Editor
I'm a pensioner, 75 years of age. The government could also think about a year-end bonus in December, once a year, as there are more expenses. Like workers who get 13th cheques and bonuses. Please help out the elderly.
Dear Editor
Why can't we as pensioners get a better increase? I feel the grants are given to mostly youth, who abuse it by having many children to get child grants, which is more than what we get. Why must the government support them if they have children but cannot afford them? I don't think it is fair towards us – we worked but the money we earned was not enough to still save for retirement.
Dear Editor
I really support their plea. Many of our senior citizens are taking care of youths who are unemployed because our government doesn't create an environment for job creation.
Senior citizens also take care of middle-aged men and women who have been laid off due to companies closing down. The money they are getting can't get them through the month.
That the government has no funds is totally untrue because everyday we hear how millions are channelled to criminal syndicates linked to government officials. Our country has enough funds to service its own citizens but lacks oversight in management of these funds.
We shouldn't be told our senior citizens are the highest paid because each and every country pay according to how expensive is their economy. Please, let's do right by our senior citizens.
Dear Editor
I'm a pensioner aged 69 years. I'm fully supporting that our government should increase the pensioners grant to R5,000 pm. We are not having pleasure with the grant provided. We have a lot of domestic responsibilities in our households. The government should really determine the cost of living in our situations in this crucial economy.
The grant offered really can not sustain us – we end up going to loan sharks. You get the grant, you pay the loan sharks, instalments, pay for insurances, support children who are jobless, grandchildren... I haven't even talked about groceries.
There are a lot more facts I could mention.
Dear Editor
The people making the decisions on whether the grant for senior citizens should be increased are people who earn thousands and thousands of rands per month. These people do not really understand what we go through, and all the understanding and sympathy are just talk. It is a reality we live every single day. Some of us have children who we have to take care of, whether we would like it or not. I have a matriculant who turned 19 in matric, and I couldn't even rely on the child grant because it was taken away even before she turned 19. If I had a decent grant, this would not have given me headaches.
Government needs to apply the money where it's needed. Freeze ministers' increases and use that money for the old age grants. Even a 1% increase for a minister is a helluva lot of money, more than our old age grant. We have to pay for ALL utilities. They don't, despite the fact that they earn loads of money! How fair is that? We experience problems with indigent subsidies every year, with subsidies being given months after it was due, and it is not back paid. This leads to further stress on the household. Government should start taking better care of us, who are usually the backbone of our families. Government should do better.
Dear Editor
Please, as a 70-year-old pensioner, I ask you to please consider this and help us. I feel so embarrassed to ask my family for help. Today is the 7th and I have R12 In my account. I had to ask for help already. Everything has spiralled out of control and our country has become a very expensive place. We received a R10 increase, but what can you do with that? You can't even buy bread! I saw in the news we spent R12,000 a month on prisoners and the elderly get R2,300. I beg you – please help us.
Dear Editor
It is long overdue for a heartened reality check concerning the old age grant. It simply does not meet hard reality, and the increments come across as progressive underpayments as food prices outstrip sustainability. A minimum of R5,000 pm would help restore dignity at the very least and I feel R6,500 would be a just option.
Dear Editor
We wish the ministers and government would look into our senior citizens' monthly tax contribution and exempt senior citizens from these payments.
We contributed tax our whole life and at old age we still have to pay for food, accommodation, water and electricity, foodstuffs, transport, doctors' fees, medical bills, medicine and on every item and or service is an additional 15% tax. Take this 15% into account also as a deduction, and it is a huge cut from our monthly living allowance.
At year-end, we struggle to survive during the seasonal times and surely government can provide us as elderly also with a living/surviving year-end bonus.
We thank you all for your humanly considerations of our senior citizens' and disabled people's pleas.
Dear Editor
I really agree to this matter. The pensioners play a very significant part in life and in society, in fact they are the cream of any nation. Treat them with respect and again remember their needs have to be met as well. R5,000 will be enough for them, as some of the pensioners are left with grandchildren to take care of while the youngsters are gallivanting to taverns every single night.
Dear Editor
I'm a pensioner. My electricity is almost R2,000 per month. How do I cope financially? It's a struggle as I have a son who is dependent on me due to him being my caregiver as I'm a two time stroke patient.
My daughter assists and my church gives us groceries but, due to rising costs of rent, toiletries and groceries... it puts so much pressure on me and others who assist us where they can. I feel like a burden and it's so demoralising. We need our president to consider raising the old age pension to ease our financial pain.
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