Public Information · Social grants · Older persons
Pension increase for 2027: what Godongwana has actually confirmed
An October parliamentary reply sets out the budget process. It does not announce a new pension amount or a cut.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has not announced a new pension amount in the parliamentary reply recorded by PMG on 16 October. The reply says adjustments for 2027/28 will be announced with the February 2027 budget after Cabinet approval.
Treasury says the budget process weighs affordability and competing spending priorities. Inflation informs grant increases, but the reply does not promise an amount or announce a pension cut.
Three different questions
An annual increase concerns the value of the grant. An eligibility review concerns whether a particular person still qualifies. A payment schedule tells recipients when money is due. A change in one does not automatically establish a change in the others.
In its 9 October explanation of reviews, SASSA said it checks continued eligibility and beneficiaries' circumstances, including income, employment and marital status. It said verification measures are intended to prevent wrongful payments. That is the agency's explanation of its administration, not a decision on the 2027 pension increase.
The government grant guide confirms that a review can affect an individual grant and that failure to cooperate can lead to suspension. A recipient who receives a notice should establish what SASSA requires in their own case, rather than treating a general budget headline as the outcome of that review.
What to check if a payment is missing
SASSA's revised November arrangements brought the older-persons payment date forward to 30 October because of the municipal elections. The agency also set aside 5 November for grants within the review process. That additional date is not a promise that every unresolved review will be approved.
Check the notice and payment information directly with SASSA. Its published toll-free number is 0800 60 10 11. Keep the reference number or written response so a payment query can be followed up.
For household budgeting, the distinction is straightforward: a decision still being considered is not money already added to a grant.