The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has formally fixed the dates on which payments of grants will be made in the month of February 2026, as it has gone speedy to dispel a flood of fake news that is being shared on the internet. Social media offerings had in the recent past reported drastic reforms to entitle to grant and indicate a bonus of double payment in the month, claims, which SASSA has discounted as misleading. To the over 19 million South Africans who depend on these funds, the February roll out will be carried out according to the normal staggered schedule, which is aimed at controlling high volumes in banks and other retailers such as Shoprite, Checkers and Boxer.
Formal Friday 2026 Payments
In order to avoid overcrowding and smooth disbursement process, SASSA will pay out the money during the first week of the month depending on the type of grant. It will be paid first on Tuesday, 3 February 2026, the Older Persons Grant (including the War Veterans Grant). This comes before the Disability Grant which is on Wednesday, 4 February 2026. And lastly, the Childrens Grants and all other residuary social grants, will be paid out on and after Thursday, 5 February 2026. The beneficiaries are told that by the time the money will be deposited in their accounts, they need not withdraw the cash at once as the money will be secured and will be there when they need them.
Refuting the SRD R370 Misinformation
The COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) R370 grant has been heavily hit by much of the new forms of fake news. There were rumors that the SASSA had made changes to the regulations to increase eligibility to unqualified foreign citizens or that the grant was going to be withdrawn prematurely. The department of social development (DSD) has made it clear that there have not been any such policy shifts. The current state of the SRD grant is that it is currently funded until March of 2027, and eligibility requirements are still strictly pegged to the existing regulations. The Minister of Social Development would announce any legitimate changes that would be published by official government gazettes.
Greater Security and Biometrical Checks
In 2026 as part of its anti-fraud policy, SASSA has tightened its biometric verification policies. Those whose mobile numbers or banking details were recently changed may see their status of January or February as being Action Required. This will involve a safe identity verification, which may be facial recognition through a smartphone, to see to it that the money is not being stolen by identity fraudsters. This additional security has been necessary since the agency is fighting complex cyber-fraud syndicates that attack the SRD digital payment system.
Collection Suggestions to a Successful and Safe Collection
With the coming of the February paydays, SASSA is advising all recipients to be on the lookout. Phishing scams have also increased in the agency as people are requested to provide their PIN numbers or OTP codes through WhatsApp. One should take into consideration that SASSA will never request your personal banking details. In order to be assured of a stress free experience, check your status before going to a payout point on the official SRD site. Should you have troubles or your payment is not reflected with the next 3 business days of the date that should have been, you may make a call to the official toll-free helpline 0800 60 10 11.
SASSA February 2026 Grant Abstract
| Grant Type | Payment Date | Amount (ZAR) |
| Older Persons | Tuesday, 3 Feb 2026 | R2,315 (R2,335 if 75+) |
| Disability | Wednesday, 4 Feb 2026 | R2,315 |
| Children’s Grants | Thursday, 5 Feb 2026 | R560 (CSG) |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does it include a February 2026 bonus under the category of double payment?
No. Suggestions of two-payments or back-pay bonuses in February are not true at all. The standard monthly entitlement will be given to the beneficiaries as usual.
2. What is to be done in case my SRD status indicates that action is required?
This is normally a requirement to undergo a new biometric verification. Enter the official SRD portal and go through the facial recognition to unlock your payment.
3. Is the SRD R370 grant going to go up this year?
In the present day, the SRD grant is pegged at R370. Although some continuous debates are on permanent Basic Income Support, no hike is officially enacted on February 2026.
Disclaimer
The information is not meant to be informative. You may refer to the official sources because it is our goal to give exact information to every user.
