The following persons may be exempted from the payment of annual fees in accordance with the Regulations on fees payable:
Persons over the age of 65 years.
Persons who are unable to work due to ill-health.
Persons who are unemployed.
Persons who are no longer practicing, but who wish for their names to remain on the Registrar may qualify for 50% exemption.
See the Regulations relating to the fees payable by social workers, child and youth care workers, social auxiliary workers, auxiliary child and youth care workers, student social workers and student child and youth care workers ( Government Notice 3485 published in Government Gazette No 48693 of 2 June 2023) for more information.
- Person over the age of 65 years
A social worker, social auxiliary worker, child and youth care worker and/or auxiliary child and youth care worker who attains the age of 65 years on or before 31 March of the financial year is exempted from the payment of annual fees for the following financial years, but will retain his or her registration status with the SACSSP and is allowed to continue practicing. Please note that the provisions in the Regulations.
Form RR.4: Regulations 3(a): Exemption from annual fees: A registered professional who has attained the age of 65 years
- Health reasons
A social worker, social auxiliary worker, child and youth care worker and/or auxiliary child and youth care worker may apply in terms of regulation 3(b)(i) of the Regulations to be exempted from the payment of annual fees for the following financial year due to health reasons. The application for exemption from payment of annual fees using the prescribe form available on the SACSSP’s by a social service professional meeting the requirements as per the Regulations were to be submitted to the SACSSP on or before 30 November, to be exempted for the payment of annual fees for the following financial year. An applicant will be informed in writing that an exemption for the payment of annual fees was granted or not. The full annual fee remains payable until such notice of exemption is received. Please note if the application for exemption of payment of annual fees is declined, the full annual fee is payable.
Form RR.5A: Regulations 3(b): Partial exemption from annual fees: A registered professional who does not practice the profession because of health reasons
- Unemployed social service professionals
A social worker, social auxiliary worker, child and youth care worker and/or auxiliary child and youth care worker who has been unemployed for a period of three consecutive months or longer, may request to be exempted from the payment of annual fees subject to submitting an affidavit completed at the South African Police Service that he or she is not employed, nor has any form of income with his or her application. Such application must reach Council annually on or before 30 November for the following financial year. Such a person may practice, subject to the payment of the applicable annual fee within 30 days of gaining employment.
An unemployed social service professional who has been exempted from the payment of annual fees:
is still a registered social service professional with the SACSSP in terms of sections 17, 18 and 18A of the Social Service Professions Act 110 of 1978 and is in good standing as such;
will not be able to (nor should he or she be required) provide proof (receipt) of payment of annual fees to the SACSSP, as he or she has been exempted from such payment. The letter granting such exemption for a financial year has equal status in terms of his or her registration status and good standing as a receipt of payment of annual fees (for those not exempted);
will have a Practice Card indicating non-practising for the purpose of regulation 3(c)(ii) of the Regulations, which will be replaced with new practice card upon re-entry into his or her profession as a registered social service professional; and
is required in terms of regulation 3(c)(ii) of the Regulations to inform the SACSSP in writing of his or her re-entry into the profession he or she is registered for, and pay within 30 days after the first day of such employment the outstanding annual fees for that financial year, upon which the SACSSP will issue a receipt and a revised Practice Card.Employers’ attention is drawn to the content of the above in relation to registered unemployed social workers, social auxiliary workers, child and youth care workers and auxiliary child and youth care workers (social service professionals) who have been exempted from the payment of annual fees in terms of regulation 3(b)(ii) of the Regulations relating to the fees payable by social workers, child and youth care workers, social auxiliary workers, auxiliary child and youth care workers, student social workers and student child and youth care workers.
Form RR.5B: Regulations 3(b): Partial exemption from annual fees: A registered professional who has been unemployed for a period of three consecutive months or longer
- Non-practicing social service professionals (partial exemption)
A social worker, social auxiliary worker, child and youth care worker and/or auxiliary child and youth care worker may apply in terms of regulation 3(c)(i) of the Regulations to be partially exempted from the payment of annual fees for the following financial year if he or she is not practicing the profession he or she is registered for in any form, including in a managerial or advisory capacity. This excludes applications in related to reaching the age of 65 years (regulation 3(a)); for health reasons (regulation 3(b)(i)) and unemployment (regulation 3(b)(ii)).
An application for partial exemption from payment of annual fees using the prescribe form available on the SACSSP’s by a social service professional meeting the requirements as per the Regulations were to be submitted to the SACSSP on or before 30 November, to be partially exempted for the payment of annual fees for the following financial year.
Partial exemption from the payment of annual fees (first time applicant) will only be considered if the annual fees for previous years were paid and will not be applied for retrospectively.
An applicant will be informed in writing that a partial exemption (50%) for the payment of annual fees was granted or not. The full annual fee remains payable until such notice of exemption is received, and upon receipt of notice of such exemption he or she needs to pay the partial portion (50%) of the annual fee no later than 31 March.
A social service professional who had been exempted from the payment of annual fees for a financial year and who resumes practicing as a social service professional shall pay the full annual fee for a financial year during which he or she resumed practicing.
Form RR.5C: Regulations 3(c): Partial exemption from annual fees: A registered professional who is not practising his or her profession but wishes to remain registered with the SACSSP