Sassa stands for South African Social Security Agency. It is a government agency that is responsible for distributing social grants to eligible South African citizens who are in need of financial assistance.
These social grants include Child Support grants, Disability grants, the R350 grant and Old Person's grants among others. Sassa aims to provide a social safety net, one way being through financial support, to vulnerable members of society with insufficient means, and its services are an important part of the South African government's efforts to reduce poverty and inequality in the country.
Sassa SRD Criteria
The Sassa R350 grant is available for all South Africans, aged 18 to 59, who have no other source of income. This means they cannot be receiving a salary or any other grants from Sassa. So, the eligibility criteria are quite simple.
Once you send in an application form to benefit from Sassa's Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant you should do a Sassa status check to make sure your application was submitted successfully. Completing a Sassa status check is crucial to see if your grant will be paid.
If Sassa rejected you and you disagree with that outcome, the first thing you need to do is lodge an appeal application. This is quite easy, as you can appeal electronically.
How To Submit An SRD Grant Appeal Application
Want to know how to do a Sassa status check appeal? Here's a guide on how to check your appeal status:
How To Submit A Sassa Status Check SRD Grant Appeal
- The first step in the Sassa status check appeal process is to go to the SRD grant appeals Sassa website
- Click on the green bar that says 'click here to lodge an appeal or check appeal status
- Enter your ID number
- Enter your cellphone number
- Click 'send pin' and wait for the SMS which will contain the verification pin
- Enter the pin and click 'submit'
- Select the month you are submitting an appeal for
- Select the drop down arrow and choose the reason for your appeal
- Click 'submit'
Once you've submitted your appeal, you're going to want to do a check on your Sassa status to track your SRD R350 grant appeal status.
How To Track Your Sassa SRD Grant Appeal Status
- Go to Sassa Appeals Website to get information on your Sassa appeal status.
- Enter ID number
- Enter telephone number
- Track appeal
You can also call the Sassa Call Centre on their cellphone number which is 0800 601 011.
When Will I Know If My Sassa Appeal Was Successful Or Not?
Feedback on your Sassa status check appeal from the Independent Tribunal For Social Assistance usually takes 60 to 90 days. The outcome of your appeal will be relayed through a confirmation message via SMS. Eligible South African citizens can expect a speedy response.
Beneficiaries should also be open to the possibility that the process can take longer due to the influx of similar applications being processed by the application system. Keep in mind that the R350 grant is administered entirely online.
Remember to always provide accurate information, submit all required documents, and regularly check for updates on your application and appeal, as can save your a lot of time and effort.
Sassa SRD Grant Eligibility Criteria
To start with, in order to start receiving the SRD R350 grant, you will need to submit an online application and to do this you must first meet the following requirements:
- Be a South African citizen, permanent resident, asylum seeker or holder of a special permit.
- Be above the age of 18.
- Not be receiving any other form of income or social grant, such as the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), NSFAS, or the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) grant.
- Not be a student receiving financial aid or a bursary.
- Not be receiving any other COVID-19-related relief or assistance from the government.
- The Child Support Grant in South Africa is not included in this, if you are a care-giver receiving a grant for a child.
How Much Is Spent On Social Grants?
In the SASSA Annual Report the Lindiwe Zulu MP, the Minister of Social Development said that, "The government’s total combined transfers towards SASSA’s fight against poverty was in excess of R230 billion".
She added that because SASSA was committed to local economic development many projects were awarded to small local businesses. The Minister said that, "SASSA awarded R270 million worth of goods and services to small, medium and micro enterprises.
Approximately R155 million of this are contracts that were awarded to women and young people, the Minister added."
How To Track Social Assistance Appeals
You must do a status check on your Sassa appeal to make sure that you appeal hasn't got lost in the Sassa system. To check on your SRD grant status for your appeal, you need to have your ID number with you. This is how you research you Sassa status check appeal and find out your grant appeal status.
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Go to Sassa Appeals Website
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Enter ID number
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Enter telephone number
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Track appeal
You can also call the Sassa Call Centre on their cellphone number which is 0800 601 011. If you've already submitted an appeal, you don't need to submit another or contact the Sassa office.
The outcome of your appeal will be relayed through a confirmation message via SMS.
Once your Sassa SRD status check appeal has been confirmed successful, payments will then be made from the month you initially applied. You should make sure that Sassa has your bank account details, a bank account is said to be the most convenient grant payment method,so that the grant can be paid to you directly.
If the applicant qualifies in that month of the application, he/she will be paid for that month & for the current month if they still meet the application criteria. The payment may not necessarily be a double payment/lump sum or on the same day. It can be split over days or weeks.
- SASSA
When you want to check your appeal status we are here to help you with a comprehensive guide to the Sassa appeal process. There is also a video with details on the Sassa appeal process.
How To Check Your Appeal Status For The SRD Grant
It is important to check your appeal status regularly to make sure that your appeal has not been lost. You must do the following to check your appeal status:
- Visit the Sassa appeals website.
- Enter your ID number
- Enter your cell phone number
- Track your R350 grant appeal
Sassa Contact Number For Toll Free Enquiries
If you are having difficulties with checking you appeal status then you can contact the Sassa call centre on 0800 601 011.
It is important to ensure that you have provided the correct contact number as Sassa will contact you via SMS to inform you of the outcome of your appeal.
Sassa receives high volumes of appeals so it may take up to three months for your appeal to processed and an outcome to be sent to you. However, you will be paid from the date on which you initially submitted your application.
Appeals may be rejected if applicants do not meet the criteria to qualify for the R350 grant. This may be due to the applicant not meeting the age requirements for the grant or the applicant may be receiving income, such as a salary, UIF payment or a bursary.
If you don't get a Sassa grant that you believe you should, you can make a grant appeal to Sassa.
When you want to check your appeal status we are here to help you with a comprehensive guide to the Sassa appeal process.
There is also a video with details on the Sassa appeal process.
Once you have submitted your appeal to Sassa you need to make sure that you check on the status of your appeal.
Independent Tribunal For SC19 Appeals
SRD grant appeals are finalised by the Independent Tribunal for Social Assistance Appeals (ITSAA). However, those who are unhappy with the outcome of their appeal may approach the high court for judicial review within 180 days of receiving the ITSAA’s decision.
History of the Sassa R350 Social Relief of Distress Grant
The President declared a National State of Disaster as a result of the Covid-19 global pandemic. In this regard he introduced a special Covid 19 Social Relief of Distress Grant (SRD) of R350 per month to be paid to individuals who are currently unemployed, do not receive any form of income, social grant or UIF payment etc.
Civil society groups have criticised the grant for being too low.
As it currently stands, the grant will be paid to beneficiaries until March of 2024. The minister warned that any permanent extension or replacement will require permanent increases in revenue, reductions in spending elsewhere, or a combination of the two.
Sassa's social grants programmes help to alleviate poverty and reduce inequality, making a significant impact on the lives of millions of people. Sassa is part of the Social Development Department and operates under the Social Assistance Act.
Sassa co-ordinates with the Department of Home Affairs so applications are compared against the Home Affairs database to check they are correct. The government has also set up the Social Development independent tribunal under the Administrative justice act to review appeals. Having an independent tribunal separate to the main Sassa staff ensures impartiality.
While the agency has faced some challenges, including issues related to fraud and corruption, it remains an essential part of the country's social protection system.
