Millions of unemployed people living in South Africa will soon begin receiving their Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant payments. The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has explained why payments will start on Friday.
Beneficiaries of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant will begin receiving their August 2023 grant payments from Friday, 25 August 2023. This comes after the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) confirmed R350 grant payment dates for the current month.
Sassa announced that all approved SRD grant applications submitted for August 2023 will be processed from 25 August 2023. The grant payment agency expects to complete the processing of all successful August R350 grant applications by 31 August 2023.
Payments (for clients who are approved for the month of August 2023) will be processed from 25 -31 August 2023.
It’s important to note that while grant payments are scheduled to be processed between these dates, the money may only reflect in the SRD grant beneficiary’s bank account a few days later.
Funds will take about 2 – 3 working days to reflect in the client’s account after payment has been processed.
While the R350 grant does not have a fixed payment date like Sassa permanent grants, the SRD grants are only paid from the 25th of the month due to verification checks completed by Sassa every month.
Why Sassa Completes SRD Grant Verification Checks
To be eligible for the SRD grant, applicants must meet the strict eligibility requirements.
Applicants need to be citizens of South Africa and reside within its borders. Permanent residents and special permit holders are also eligible to receive the relief grant.
Grant beneficiaries may not receive any support from the South African government or a state entity. This includes benefits from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) or funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). They may also not be maintained by a state institution.
SRD grant applicants must not have more than R624 income in their bank account. The term “income” when referring to the SRD grant is funds in an applicant’s bank account. If the balance exceeds R624, the application for the R350 grant will be rejected.
How Sassa Determines If You Meet SRD Grant Requirements
Sassa employs a verification process to ensure that applicants meet the eligibility criteria for the SRD. The verification process involves collaboration with various state entities, government departments and banks.
Sassa verifies the identity numbers and citizenship status of applicants through collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs.
The applicant’s bank account details are shared with the Department of Treasury and subsequently with the bank chosen by the applicant for income verification.
It’s important to note that the timeframe for bank verification is not fixed.
The applicant’s information is sent to the Department of Treasury and then forwarded to the designated bank chosen by the applicant. Once the income verification is completed by the bank, the information is sent back to the Department of Treasury, and finally, it is handed over to Sassa to facilitate the grant payment.
How To Check If Your SRD Grant Application Was Successful
Sassa encouraged grant beneficiaries to complete a Sassa status check to see when their SRD grant will be paid. If an applicant’s SRD Sassa Application is rejected, you can submit a SRD grant appeal to the Independent Tribunal For Social Assistance Appeals (ITSAA).
