How to Change Your SASSA Phone Number

How do I change my phone number for the SRD R370 grant?

The change is made on SASSA's SRD site, through the mobile number update form. SASSA asks for your 13-digit ID number and a reason for the change, then for how you are paid, and then for the new number written as 082 or 073, without +27. A 4-digit PIN follows by SMS to that number. Type srd.sassa.gov.za yourself. SASSA's own statement says why it matters: without completed verification "the application will be unsuccessful and no grant will be paid". The grant is approved until 31 March 2027, and the November 2026 payment dates are in our news note.

Why must the number be registered in my name?

SASSA asked for exactly that. Its SASSA statement of 6 November 2025 calls the cellphone number and banking details "crucial particulars" for the application and urges applicants to use a number registered in their own name. It warns that without completed verification "the application will be unsuccessful and no grant will be paid".

The same statement says that when banking details do not belong to the applicant, "the system will not verify the payment". That is why the form asks you to confirm how you are paid when you change the number.

SRD number-change reasons and what each tends to trigger
Reason on the form	What to expect
New phone	PIN to the new number; face scan only if SASSA asks
Number captured wrongly	Same steps, since the file holds the wrong number
Used a third-party phone	Same steps; use a number in your own name this time
Lost phone	Face scan is more likely; office visit if it fails

How long does a number change take?

No turnaround is published. After you submit, SASSA runs the new number through a risk check and updates your application only if the number is cleared. Walkthroughs of the form talk about under 48 hours, or about three days if a face scan is added. Those are estimates. One contact update per ID is accepted every 24 hours.

Lost your handset? Pick "lost phone" on the form; guides warn that a face scan is likely. But if only the SIM went missing, mobile networks can swap it at a store when you show your ID. The number stays yours, and SASSA never needs to know.

Where to change your cellphone number, by grant
Grant	Amount, 2026/27	Where to change the number
SRD	R370 until 31 March 2027	srd.sassa.gov.za, mobile number update form
Old age, disability	R2,400	SASSA local office with your ID
Child support	R580	SASSA local office with your ID
Foster child	R1,300 from October	SASSA local office with your ID

What about the old age or disability grant?

Old age, disability, child support and foster child grants have no SRD form. A changed bank account is a separate job: see how to change SASSA banking details. Be wary of any "SASSA loan" advert, because SASSA lends nothing, as SASSA grant loans explains. To vet a lender, use how to check NCR registration and the lender directory.

Questions about changing your SASSA phone number

Can I use a friend's phone number for my SASSA application?

No. In November 2025 SASSA urged applicants to use a cellphone number registered in their own name, because it is used to track the application and send verification messages.

Will changing my number delay my grant?

Guides say payments carry on during the check. But the EWN report of January 2025 warned that regularly changing banking details or contact numbers "delays the payment process", so do it once and early in the month.