A SASSA grant review is not a cancellation. If you received an SMS telling you to visit an office or to complete life certification, your file has been selected for verification, and the money usually still comes, just on a later day. What ends a grant is ignoring the notice.
In November 2026, grants under review are paid on Thursday 5 November, after the main payment days of 30 October, 2 November and 3 November.
November 2026 payment days
| Grant | Payment date |
|---|---|
| Older persons | Friday 30 October 2026 |
| Disability | Monday 2 November 2026 |
| Children’s grants | Tuesday 3 November 2026 |
| Grants in the review process | Thursday 5 November 2026 |
The review day is not an extra payment for everyone. It exists so that a flagged beneficiary is not left without money while the review runs. If your usual date passes and nothing arrives, check whether you were sent a review or certification SMS. SASSA asks beneficiaries under review to respond to its official messages and attend review appointments when asked. Our guide to SASSA payment dates lists every date to March 2027.
What a grant review is
SASSA reviews grants to confirm that the people receiving them still qualify. A review can mean producing documents about your income or household, not only proving that you are alive. Beneficiaries are notified by SMS, so an out-of-date cellphone number is the most common reason people miss a review.
The scale is easy to underestimate. In one quarterly progress report, SASSA Mpumalanga alone recorded 12 151 beneficiaries notified to come in for reviews. Of those, 2 303 grants were reviewed and 221 lapsed because the beneficiary never responded.
You get a formal notice before anything is suspended or cancelled, and SASSA must verify the facts of your case before it decides. If you cannot get to an office yourself, you may appoint a procurator to do the review on your behalf.
Life certification
Life certification is a separate check that confirms a beneficiary is alive and still eligible. It is a statutory requirement under the Social Assistance Act.
- Everyone who can use the online portal is encouraged to certify once a year.
- Beneficiaries SASSA specifically identifies must certify within the timeframe SASSA gives them, regardless of grant type or date of birth.
If you do not certify when directed, your payments can be delayed or your grant suspended. SASSA says it may read non-compliance as a sign that the beneficiary has died or is no longer eligible.
How to certify online
SASSA’s e-Life Certification runs on the SASSA Online Services Portal. It uses biometric verification through the electronic Know Your Client system, linked to Home Affairs records.
- Use a phone or computer with a working front camera and a data connection.
- Log in to the portal, or register a profile if you do not have one.
- Follow the prompts to complete the certification.
- Check that your personal and contact details are correct while you are logged in.
In April 2026 SASSA apologised after some beneficiaries could not reach the portal. It blamed glitches in links to other departments’ systems and said the problems were resolved. If the portal fails, try again later and keep a screenshot of the failed attempt.
If you cannot use the portal, go to your nearest SASSA office with your ID.
If your grant has already stopped
A lapsed grant is not the same as a rejected application, and the fix is usually administrative. Go to your nearest SASSA office with your ID and complete the review or certification. Take proof of anything that changed, such as a new bank account or address.
A declined SRD application is a different process, handled through the SRD appeals system. See our guide to the SRD grant appeal.
Avoid scams
Life certification and grant reviews are free. Use the official portal or a SASSA office only, ignore links forwarded on WhatsApp or sent by SMS from unknown numbers, and never pay anyone to speed up the process. If you still use an old card, read our guide to the SASSA black card deadline.
Where to check
- The SASSA Online Services Portal hosts e-Life Certification.
- The SASSA contact centre is on 0800 60 10 11.
- Our guides to SASSA grant amounts and the older persons grant explain who qualifies.
HOW WE REPORTED THIS
- Read the SAnews report of 15 October 2026 for the revised November 2026 payment dates and the 5 November payment day for grants under review
- Read the SAnews report of 21 April 2026 for SASSA's statement on e-Life Certification, who must certify, biometric verification, the consequences of not certifying and the April portal problems
- Read the SASSA Online Services Portal for the portal address and the contact centre number
- Carried over SASSA's statements on review notices and the Mpumalanga review figures from the earlier version of this guide
