Although the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) is currently still in the process of paying out the R350 grant to more than qualifying 10 million South Africans monthly. In addition to this, Sassa has also stated that they intend to introduce a new means test to determine new eligibility criteria.
It has also been reported that not everyone who was eligible for the Social Relief of Distress Grant in the past two years will qualify to access the grant in the new financial year.
The government says it cannot afford to provide the SRD grant to all qualifying citizens, and that eligibility will now be determined by the ‘new means test’. The main reason for the new measures, according to officials, is a lack of financial resources
Paythegrant Coordinator, Elizabeth Raiter says that Sassa is not doing things the ways that it should, particularly when it comes to verifying R350 applicants, adding that this has been ongoing since the previous cycle of the grant.
Some people were declined but were approved in December but were declined from August until November where it stated ‘alternative income source’ or ‘UIF registered.
She adds that other R350 grant applicants were UIF registered while they had prior employment history. As a result, the coordinator believes that Sassa's verification process is flawed and the poor are suffering the consequences of it.
Raiter goes on to say that the next step for them as an organization is to take the Department of Social Development to the court regarding the matter.
