War Veterans’ Grant (WVG)
Basic Information
Country
Geographic area
Population group
Elderly persons
Programme Details
Programme objectives
To assist war veterans who are not able to support themselves.
Government of South Africa. 2015. “War veterans grant.” Government of South Africa website.
Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://www.gov.za/services/social-benefits-retirement-and-old-age
/war-veterans-grant>.
Start date
1968
Coverage
326 beneficiaries (2015)
South African Social Security Agency. 2015. Fact sheet: Issue no 6 of 2015 – 30 June 2015.
Pretoria: SASSA. Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://www.sassa.gov.za/index.php/knowledgecentre/
statistical-reports>.
Programme expenditure
ZAR5 million (2015/16 budget)
Targeting and eligiblity
Targeting methods
Means Test
Categorical Targeting
Targeted areas
Nationwide
Target groups
Elderly war veterans
Eligibility criteria
People aged 60 and older or people with disabilities who are war veterans
of the First or Second World Wars, or the Korean War, with an annual
income of less than ZAR65,160 and assets of no more than ZAR937,200
per person (or a combined income of ZAR130,320 and assets of ZAR1.9
million for couples).
Eligibility reassessment (if any)
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA)
is responsible for reviewing eligibility criteria, such as
the declared income of the beneficiaries.
Government of South Africa. 2015. “War veterans grant.” Government of South Africa website.
Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://www.gov.za/services/social-benefits-retirement-and-old-age
/war-veterans-grant>.
Coverage and other information
Type of benefits
Cash
Amount of benefits
ZAR1,430
Government of South Africa. 2015. “War veterans grant.” Government of South Africa website.
Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://www.gov.za/services/social-benefits-retirement-and-old-age
/war-veterans-grant>.
Payment/delivery frequency
Monthly
Government of South Africa. 2015. “War veterans grant.” Government of South Africa website.
Accessed 11 November 2015. <http://www.gov.za/services/social-benefits-retirement-and-old-age
/war-veterans-grant>.
Benefit delivery mechanism
Grants are paid by SASSA through the following methods:
• pay points;
• automatic teller machines (ATMs);
• contracted merchant stores; and
• State institutions.
Minimum and maximum duration of benefits (if any)
Beneficiaries must meet the requirements of the means test.
The grant lapses if the beneficiary dies, is admitted to a state
institution or six months after admission to a psychiatric hospital.
Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms and frequency
SASSA administers the grant. Its monitoring and evaluation branch
produces monthly statistical reports of all its social grants, indicating
the number of beneficiaries per region.
