SASSA SRD Income Threshold — How Much Can You Earn?

The SASSA SRD income threshold is R624 per month. If the total deposits into your bank account exceed R624 in any assessment month, your application will be declined. This includes all deposits — not just a salary. The SRD grant payment of R370 itself is excluded from this calculation. Understanding exactly what counts toward this limit can help you avoid an unexpected decline.

What Is the SASSA SRD Income Threshold?

The income threshold is the maximum amount of money you can receive in a month and still qualify for the SRD grant. SASSA set this limit at R624 per month. This figure comes from a court ruling and represents the food poverty line in South Africa.

Every month, SASSA reassesses your eligibility. They check your bank records to see how much money was deposited into accounts in your name. If the total exceeds R624, you fail the means test for that month. You can read about all SASSA SRD eligibility requirements on our full guide.

How Does SASSA Check Your Income?

SASSA has agreements with all major South African banks. They can access your banking records to verify your income. This is an automated process that runs each month as part of the reassessment cycle.

Here is what SASSA checks:

All bank accounts in your name — savings accounts, current accounts, and any other accounts linked to your ID number.
Total deposits for the month — every single deposit is added together.
Cross-referencing with SARS, UIF, and other databases — to detect formal employment or other income sources.

SASSA does not only look at salary payments. They look at every rand that enters your account.

What Counts Toward the R624 Limit?

This is where many applicants get caught off guard. The income threshold applies to ALL deposits, not just employment income. Here is what counts:

Salary or wages — any payment from an employer.
Piece work payments — if someone pays you into your bank account for casual work, it counts.
Money from family members — if a relative sends you money via bank transfer, it counts as a deposit.
Birthday gifts — cash gifts deposited into your account are included.
Money borrowed and returned — if someone deposits borrowed money back into your account, SASSA sees it as income.
Selling items — if you sell something and the buyer deposits money into your account, it counts.
Any other deposit — there are no exceptions for the type of deposit.

What Does NOT Count?

There is one important exclusion:

The SRD grant payment itself — the R370 you receive from SASSA is not counted toward the R624 threshold.

Cash-in-hand payments that never enter your bank account do not show up in bank records. However, you should always be honest about your income when applying. Fraud can lead to criminal charges and permanent disqualification.

Common Scenarios Explained

Scenario 1: You do piece work. You earn R500 in cash for painting a house. The person pays you in cash and you keep it at home. This will not show in your bank records. But if they transfer R500 to your bank account, it counts toward the R624 limit.

Scenario 2: Your mother sends you R300. Even though this is a gift from family, the R300 deposit counts toward the threshold. If you also receive any other deposit of more than R324 that month, you will exceed R624.

Scenario 3: You sell your old phone for R400. The buyer transfers R400 into your account. This counts as a deposit. Combined with any other deposits, you may exceed the limit.

Scenario 4: A friend borrows R200 and pays it back. The R200 deposit into your account counts. SASSA cannot tell the difference between income and returned money from bank records alone.

To check your current application status, visit our SASSA status check page.

What Happens If You Fail the Means Test?

If your bank deposits exceed R624 in any month, your status will show one of the following:

“Means Test Failed” — your income was found to be above the threshold.
“Alternative Income Source” — SASSA detected another source of income.

When this happens, you will not receive the R370 SRD grant for that month. For a full list of decline reasons and what they mean, visit our SASSA declined reasons page.

The good news is that SASSA reassesses you every month. If your deposits are below R624 the following month, you may qualify again. You do not need to reapply each time — the system checks automatically.

Can You Appeal a Means Test Failure?

Yes, you can appeal. Many means test failures are overturned on appeal, especially when you can prove the deposits were not regular income.

To appeal, visit the SASSA appeal portal at https://srd.sassa.gov.za/appeals/appeal.

You will need to provide supporting documents, including:

Bank statements (at least 3 months) showing the deposits were once-off or not regular income.
An affidavit explaining the source of the deposits (for example, a gift or loan repayment).
Any other proof that your actual income is below R624 per month.

Read our full guide on how to appeal a SASSA decline for step-by-step instructions.

Tips to Avoid Failing the Means Test

Here are practical steps you can take:

Keep bank deposits low — avoid receiving unnecessary transfers during assessment months.
Use cash where possible — if family wants to help, ask them to give you cash instead of bank transfers.
Avoid using your bank account as a pass-through — do not let others deposit money into your account temporarily.
Check your bank statements — monitor your deposits monthly so there are no surprises.
Keep records — save proof of any once-off deposits (gifts, returned loans) in case you need to appeal.

Where Does the R624 Figure Come From?

The R624 income threshold is based on the food poverty line as determined by Statistics South Africa. A court ruling confirmed that SASSA must use this figure as the cutoff for SRD grant eligibility. It represents the minimum amount needed to buy enough food for one person per month.

This threshold may be adjusted in future if the food poverty line is updated. For now, R624 remains the limit. To see all the criteria you must meet, visit our who qualifies for the SASSA SRD grant page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the R370 SRD grant count toward the R624 income threshold?

No. The SRD grant payment itself is excluded from the income calculation. Only other deposits are counted.

What if someone deposits money into my account by mistake?

Unfortunately, SASSA counts all deposits regardless of the reason. If this happens, you can appeal and provide proof that the deposit was an error or not income. Include bank statements and an explanation.

Is the R624 threshold per person or per household?

The R624 threshold is per person. SASSA checks the individual applicant’s bank accounts, not the household income.

How often does SASSA check my bank account?

SASSA runs a monthly reassessment. Your bank records are checked every month to determine your eligibility for that specific month.

Can I have a bank account and still qualify for the SRD grant?

Yes. Having a bank account does not disqualify you. What matters is that the total deposits into your account do not exceed R624 in any given month.

Need More Help?

If you have questions about the income threshold or your SRD grant status, you can contact SASSA directly:

SASSA Helpline: 0800 60 10 11 (toll-free)
WhatsApp: 082 046 8553
SRD Portal: https://srd.sassa.gov.za/

For more ways to get in touch, visit our SASSA contact information page. You can also return to our main SASSA SRD eligibility and application guide for a complete overview of the application process and requirements.

If your application was declined for a reason related to income, visit our SASSA means test failed page for specific guidance on what to do next.