The Social Relief of Distress grant, also known as the SRD R350 grant, sees millions of beneficiaries receive R350 every month. If you applied to receive the SRD grant in August 2023, it is important to keep track of when SRD grant payments will be made.
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) provides financial assistance to low-income individuals in the form of social grants. These individuals rely on monthly Sassa grant payments to purchase their most basic needs.
Sassa introduced the Social Relief of Distress grant, commonly referred to as the SRD or R350 grant, during the Covid-19 pandemic to assist some of the country’s most vulnerable citizens. Although the State of Disaster has come to an end, the SRD grant will continue.
The grant was meant to last for a period of six months after it was introduced, but it has since been extended a few times while maintaining its value of R350. The grant is set to come to an end in March 2024.
In order to qualify for this grant, all candidates must be unemployed, be between the ages of 18 and 59 years old and earn less than R624 per month.
Eligibility Criteria For The SASSA R350 Grant
In order to receive the SASSA R350 grant payments applicants must be:
- Unemployed
- South African citizens, permanent residents, refugees, holders of a special permit under the Special Angolan Dispensation, the Lesotho Exemption Permit Dispensation; Zimbabwe Exemption Permit Dispensation; or Asylum seekers with a valid section 22 permit or visa
- Between 18 and 59 years old
- Live within the borders of South Africa
- Be registered on the Home Affairs database or Sassa’s social grant database for individuals without ID documents
- Not living in a government Institution or subsidized institution
- Not receiving Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) Benefits or National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) support or any other social grants distributed by Sassa
R350 Payment Dates For August 2023
It’s important to note that the special SRD grant, does not have a fixed payment date. Sassa approves applications for this grant, and beneficiaries are notified via message when their R350 grant payment is available for collection.
If you applied to receive the grant in August 2023, it is important to keep track of your application status.
Once your Sassa SRD status check has been confirmed successful, grant payments will then be made from the month you initially applied. You should make sure that Sassa has your bank account details so that the grant payment can be paid to you directly.
How To Do A Sassa Status Check
Sassa has urged all applicants to regularly check their application status, as they may request additional information or documentation to be submitted.
Here’s how to check your grant application status:
- Go to the SASSA SRD grant website
- Scroll down to ‘Application status’
- Click on ‘Click here to check online’
- Fill in the required fields
- You should then be able to see the status of your R350 grant application
Should applications require additional assistance, with tracking their status, they can also contact the SASSA call centre on 0800 601 011.
Furthermore, the agency has reminded applicants that if their application is rejected, they have submit an appeal should they feel that the reason is invalid.
This appeal process sees Sassa re-evaluate the unsuccessful application.
Permanent Grants Payment Dates For August 2023
The first week of each month is usually reserved for the payment of permanent social grants, and with August only a few days away, staying updated about the Sassa payment schedule is useful.
Sassa has that these are the payment dates for all permanent grant beneficiaries:
- Older Persons Grant – Wednesday, 2 August
- Disability Grant – Thursday, 3 August
- Children’s Grant – Friday, 4 August
Sassa Grant Increases
Every year, the Finance minister announces social grant increases. In 2023, permanent Sassa Grant beneficiaries will receive two rounds of increases with one already having taken place.
These grants were recently increased in April and will see another increase in October 2023. The amount of money received by grant beneficiaries will increase again in October 2023 except for the Child Support Top-up grant.
However, the R350 grant has remained at the same value with many calling for it to be increased.
Read our article on Sassa grant increases for 2023/24 to find out more.
Where To Collect Your Sassa Grant
Sassa has made it clear that beneficiaries should not rush to withdraw their Sassa payment on the first day it becomes available and to remember that once the money has been sent to their accounts, it will remain there until they need it.
There is no need to rush to withdraw cash on the first day. Once the money is in the account, it will remain there until it is needed.
In addition, there are a few ways beneficiaries can collect their grants. These include:
Bank Account
Permanent grant beneficiaries and SRD recipients have the option of having their grants paid directly into their bank account. This is a convenient grant payment method as beneficiaries can access their money at any time after the payment was made by Sassa.
Retail outlets
Sassa grants are paid to selected retailers around the country. The vast geographical footprint of retail outlets makes it easy for grant recipients to find one close to where they live.
Beneficiaries can withdraw their money at any time when the retail outlet is operational. Pick n Pay, Shoprite, Boxer stores, Usave stores and Checkers all distribute social grants.
Mobile Cash Pay Points
There are also mobile cash pay points where grant beneficiaries can collect their money. However, this is not a flexible payment option and beneficiaries may only collect their grant payment for a few hours during a grant payment cycle.
To find out more about Sassa grants, including the R350 grant, head to our Sassa section.
