SRD grant beneficiaries are hopeful that they will finally get their grant which is reported to not have been paid since the month of April. It has been reported that 10.6 million people have been affected.
According to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development, this was due to a technical glitch that the department experienced.
In a statement, the Committee’s Chairperson, Nonkosi Mvana explained:
This was due to the department’s work to finalise a functional verification process and to ensure all systems are in place (which would also assist the Auditor-General with the monitoring of the application process).
Mvana said that with both objectives being complete, the department anticipates processing the payments to all grant beneficiaries as soon as possible.
The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) will reportedly assist the department in improving its procedures in order to complete overdue payments for the previous grant iteration.
Among the affected SRD grant beneficiaries, is 19-year-old Kwanele Qayiso whose Child Support Grant had been terminated due to him being over the age of 18.
Qayiso has also shared that life has been difficult since the SRD payments were put on pause for the past 2 months, as the grant supports both him and his unemployed mother.
Mvana has highlighted that the department is close to finalising contracts with banks so that it can complete the means test for applications, which will assist in making payments.
It has been reported that the Committee has requested that the grant ought to be increased on a year-on-year basis.
