The means test is the part of the SRD process that catches the most people off guard, because it doesn’t work the way most people expect an “income check” to work. It’s not about whether you have a job — it’s about what moves through your bank account in a given month, regardless of where that money came from. This guide explains exactly how it’s calculated, what counts against you, and how to avoid being caught out by money that was never actually income.
Quick answer: SASSA checks total deposits into your linked bank account each month against a set threshold. Combined deposits at or above that threshold — from any source — will result in a decline for that month, even if the money wasn’t regular income.
What the Means Test Actually Checks
Each month, SASSA performs an automated review of the bank account linked to your SRD application. It totals up all deposits received during that month and compares the total to a fixed threshold. If the total is at or above the threshold, you’re treated as having sufficient means to support yourself, and your application is declined for that specific month.
The System Can’t Tell the Difference Between Income and a Gift
This is the single biggest source of frustration with the means test. The automated check simply totals deposits — it has no way of knowing that a R600 transfer was a one-off gift from a family member to help with a funeral, rather than R600 in regular salary. Both look identical to the system: money that arrived in your account that month. This is exactly why the appeal and reconsideration process exists — to let a human reviewer see the context an automated check can’t.
What Counts Toward the Threshold
- Salary or wage payments
- Freelance or informal work payments
- CashSend and similar instant money transfers
- e-Wallet deposits
- Family or friend transfers, including gifts
- Refunds or reimbursements paid into the account
- Any other deposit, regardless of stated purpose
The common thread is simple: if it landed in the account as a deposit, it counts, no matter what it actually was.
Common Situations That Trigger an Unexpected Decline
- A family emergency transfer. Money sent to help cover a funeral, hospital bill, or similar emergency counts as a deposit like any other.
- Short-term or once-off work. A single day of paid piece work or a one-time freelance payment can push you over the threshold for that month alone.
- Repaid loans between family members. If someone repays money you previously lent them, that repayment still shows as a deposit.
- Stokvel or community savings payouts. A payout from a savings group, even if it’s your own contributed money coming back to you, registers as a deposit.
How to Protect Yourself From an Unfair Means-Test Decline
- Keep records of one-off transfers. If a family member sends emergency money, ask them to note the reason in the transfer description, and keep any related documentation (a funeral invoice, a medical bill).
- Consider a separate account for irregular deposits not linked to your SRD application, if a once-off transfer is genuinely unrelated to your living income, though this isn’t always practical.
- Don’t panic over a single month’s decline if it was caused by a clearly explainable one-off deposit — this is exactly the kind of case the reconsideration process is designed for.
If You’re Declined for This Reason
Request reconsideration within 30 days, and explain clearly and specifically what the flagged deposit actually was. Reference the date and approximate amount, and attach supporting evidence where possible — a sworn affidavit from a police station, a funeral invoice, or a message from the person who sent the transfer confirming its purpose. The more specific and evidenced your explanation, the more likely a human reviewer can see past what the automated system couldn’t.
Does the Threshold Change Over Time?
Yes, the means-test threshold is periodically reviewed and adjusted by the Department of Social Development, generally in line with broader policy changes to the grant. Since this figure can change, always check your current SRD status result or official SASSA communications for the figure that applies right now, rather than relying on a number you may have seen some months ago.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the means test look at savings, or only deposits?
The monthly check focuses on deposit activity during that specific month rather than your total savings balance, though large balances can be considered as part of the broader eligibility assessment.
Can a single large deposit affect more than one month?
Generally, the check looks at the month the deposit landed in. A one-off deposit in one month shouldn’t directly affect a later month’s assessment, provided that later month’s deposits stay under the threshold.
What if my partner’s income is deposited into my account?
The means test reviews the account linked to your specific application. Deposits into that account count toward your assessment regardless of whose income it originally was.