Guide · Bank statements
A bank credit is not always income—but it always needs context
Learn how to explain bank credits clearly when preparing financial evidence for a disability support application means test.
An account statement records movement, not meaning. A salary payment, transfer from your own savings account and repayment from a relative may all appear in the same credit column. A decision-maker cannot safely infer the explanation from your memory; the application file needs a traceable account.
Start with the required period
Confirm the exact dates requested before sorting entries. Download complete statements rather than transaction screenshots. Page numbers, account ownership and opening and closing balances help show that the record is continuous.
Create a table with date, statement description, amount, category and supporting record. Useful categories might include employment income, recurring household support, own-account transfer, refund, loan receipt and unexplained cash. Use categories that truthfully fit your circumstances; a label does not change the substance of a receipt.
Link both sides of own-account transfers
If R1,000 moved from your savings account to your transaction account, show the debit and credit together. Include both statements for the same date and amount. Without the originating account, the incoming side can resemble new money.
Treat informal support consistently
Support from relatives can change in timing and form. One month a sibling may pay the electricity account directly; the next month they may transfer cash. Record both rather than explaining only what appears in the bank. Check the relevant application guidance for how support must be declared.
Do not force an explanation
If an entry cannot be identified, mark it unresolved and investigate. An honest unresolved item is safer than a convenient story unsupported by records. Ask the sender, search correspondence and preserve the original statement unchanged.
This guide is general information, not a determination of how a specific authority will classify a receipt. A focused reconciliation can help when statement activity is extensive or several accounts are involved.