SASSA HIV Grant: Why There Is No Separate Grant and What to Apply For

SASSA does not pay a separate HIV or AIDS grant, and there is no special HIV grant application form. People living with HIV apply for the same disability grant as anyone else whose illness or condition stops them from working. Being HIV positive on its own does not qualify you: what counts is how the illness affects your ability to support yourself, as judged in a medical assessment.

When someone with HIV can get the disability grant

The disability grant is for adults who cannot work because of a physical or mental disability or a long illness. A person living with HIV may qualify when HIV-related illness, such as advanced disease or serious opportunistic infections, leaves them unable to work. Many people on treatment recover enough to work again, which is why SASSA often awards a temporary grant.

• You must be a South African citizen, permanent resident or refugee living in South Africa.
• You must be between 18 and 59 years old. At 60 the grant changes to the older persons grant.
• A doctor appointed by SASSA must assess you and confirm that you cannot work.
• You and your spouse must pass the means test on income and assets.
• You must not already get another social grant for yourself.

Temporary or permanent

A temporary disability grant runs for 6 to 12 months and stops on its end date. If you are still unable to work, you must apply again and go for a new medical assessment. A permanent grant is for a disability expected to last longer than a year. Both pay the same amount.

How much it pays

Since April 2026 the disability grant pays up to R2 400 a month. People with some income may get less, because the amount is reduced on a sliding scale under the means test.

How to apply

1. Book a medical assessment at your nearest SASSA office. See how to book a SASSA medical assessment.
2. Take your clinic or hospital records, including your treatment history, to the assessment.
3. Complete the disability grant application at the SASSA office after the assessment. The form is filled in there, with an officer, not downloaded.
4. Bring your green barcoded ID or smart ID card, proof of income and assets, and bank details if you want the grant paid into an account.
5. Keep the receipt with your reference number. SASSA tells you the outcome in writing.

If you are turned down

You can ask SASSA to reconsider, and then appeal to the Independent Tribunal for Social Assistance Appeals. See how to appeal a SASSA decision. If you cannot work and have no income while you wait, the R370 SRD grant may help in the meantime.

Help

For questions, call SASSA toll-free on 0800 60 10 11. For the full rules, see our guide to who qualifies for the SASSA disability grant.

Update (September 2026): an earlier version of this page described a separate “SASSA HIV grant” with its own form. No such grant exists. The page now explains the disability grant, which is the grant people living with HIV actually apply for.