Almost 12 Million R350 Grant Applications Submitted So Far

Now that August is over, SASSA has said that they have received almost 12 million R350 grant applications. Verification processes do however continue.

SASSA has seen around 11.5 million people applying for the R350 grant and they will be receiving the R350 grant should they be approved. SRD grant payments commenced on 25 August for the new cycle of grants and are still continuing.

The agency has now made near to 2 million payments.

SASSA spokesperson, Paseka Letsatsi, said that they are still busy with verification processes for applications received in August with him saying, "Once a decision is made in terms of gathering all the data of information regarding an individual, we'll be communicating with those who were not fully approved."

The agency has now found that there are close to 32 000 who are improperly benefitting from the R350 grant, costing Government at least R11 million.

This money is meant for people who are struggling. People who don't have food to put on the table so we don't think anybody who is working, who is getting a salary, can go and take money which is not meant for them. 

SASSA executive for Grants Administration, Dianne Dunkerley, said more measures have been put in place to ensure that those receiving the grant actually meet the requirements to receive it.

Every month, SASSA goes in to check if those who qualified still qualify or if their circumstances have changed. Dunkerly explained, "There are monthly validations done across all the databases that we have access to. So it doesn’t matter what the previous decision was."

Applicants' information provided is then verified through the Unemployment Insurance Fund, Home Affairs, SASSA itself and NSFAS.