SRD R370 Means-Test Calculator
Add every source of income you received in the month you are checking. If the total is R624 or less, you clear the SRD means-test. Bank-scrape flags from the SRD portal use the same rule.
Your income for the month
Add at least one income line to see the result
How the SRD means-test works
SASSA applies a R624 monthly income threshold to the SRD R370 grant. It runs a bank-account scrape each month and flags any inbound amount over R624 as failing the test, including cash-send from family, income from a piece job, or an EFT from a stokvel.
- Include every rand that entered your account or your hands during the month.
- Other SASSA grants you receive (Child Support, Older Person, Disability) count in full.
- If a deposit is disputed as a mistake, submit a bank statement with your reconsideration inside 30 days.
What counts as income and what does not
SASSA reads your bank statement and counts almost every inflow. The list below is the practical rule of thumb used by the SRD portal's automated sweep. Anything under "Counts" goes into your R624 total, anything under "Ignored" does not.
| Type of inflow | Means-test | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Salary, wage, or piece-job payment | Counts | Even irregular gigs. Cash-in-hand not deposited to a bank is legally still income, but only bank sweeps catch it. |
| Family cash-send / eWallet from a relative | Counts | The most common decline trigger. Cash-send is treated as income even if you paid it back. |
| Stokvel or savings-club payout | Counts | Payout month always breaches. Consider timing the payout for a month you skip the SRD. |
| Freelance / commission / tips into your bank | Counts | Any credit hitting the account. |
| Other SASSA grant (Child Support in your own name, Older Person, Disability) | Counts | Automatically disqualifies you from SRD (income above R624). |
| UIF benefit payment | Counts | Also causes an automatic UIF-flag decline. |
| NSFAS student allowance | Counts | Disqualifies. NSFAS beneficiaries are excluded from SRD. |
| Refund from SARS, retailer, or utility | Ignored | If clearly labelled as a refund on the statement. Grey-area refunds get counted. |
| Interbank transfer between your own accounts | Ignored | Only if both accounts are in your name and both statements are visible. |
| Loan repayment received from a friend or family member | Counts | The sweep cannot tell it apart from income. You must dispute on reconsideration with evidence. |
| Insurance payout (funeral, motor, medical) | Ignored | Once-off, disputed on reconsideration if flagged. |
Three real-world scenarios
The calculator gives the number, these examples show what SASSA actually does with it.
Thandi · R400 total
One inflow: a piece-job payment of R400 from a neighbour on the 12th. Nothing else that month.
Passes · R370 paysSipho · R1,150 total
Cash-send from his brother for R1,000 to help with school fees, plus R150 airtime refund. He is R526 over the line.
Fails · declined next checkNomsa · R624 exactly
Single R624 payment for a two-day house-clean. She lands exactly on the threshold.
Passes · the line is "at or below"The most common calculation mistakes
- Forgetting cash-send. "It was just my sister helping" is not a legal argument. The sweep sees the inflow, not the intent.
- Missing multiple accounts. SASSA can sweep every bank account tied to your ID. Add up inflows across all of them, not just your main account.
- Counting inflows twice. If you transfer R500 from your own Capitec to your own TymeBank account, do not add it twice.
- Assuming small amounts are safe. The threshold is R624 for the whole month, not per deposit. Ten R70 tips add to R700 and fail.
- Ignoring UIF or NSFAS. These trigger the flag automatically even if the amount is small, because the rule is "no dual government income".
If you fail the means-test
A means-test decline is the most common outcome and it is the easiest to appeal, because in most cases the flagged deposit is a legitimate non-income transfer that just looks like income to the sweep. You have 30 days from the decline notice to submit a reconsideration. The steps:
- Download your full bank statement for the disputed month (all accounts).
- Highlight the deposit(s) that were flagged and write a one-line note explaining each one.
- Attach a signed affidavit (or a WhatsApp screenshot with sender name) supporting the explanation.
- Submit through the SRD portal's "Request Reconsideration" button, or use our appeal letter builder for the wording.
Frequently asked questions
Is the threshold R350 or R624?
The SRD grant amount is R370 per month. The means-test threshold is R624, based on the current national food-poverty line. Older SASSA documents still reference R350 (the pre-2024 amount) but the automated sweep uses R624.
Does a once-off gift count?
Yes. The automated sweep does not distinguish between a gift and a wage. Any credit into your account is added. You have to dispute it on reconsideration with an affidavit from the sender.
What if I do not have a bank account?
SASSA can still access mobile-money (eWallet, CashSend, Instant Money) and Post Office accounts. If you truly have no digital account, the sweep returns no data and the file is treated as "no alternative income identified".
Does my spouse's income count?
No. The SRD means-test is individual, not household. Only inflows to accounts registered to your ID are counted.
How often is the sweep run?
Monthly, in the first week of each month, covering the previous full calendar month. Big deposits can also trigger an out-of-cycle re-check within 24-72 hours.