The Special Covid-19 R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant has been reintroduced and applicants have from 6 August until March 2022 to apply for the grant.
The grant was introduced first in 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic first arrived in South Africa, in order to assist those between the ages of 18-65 who had lost their jobs or were unable to secure jobs during that time.
There are many ways in which applicants can apply for the grant, however all applications must be done electronically/digitally.
How to apply for the SRD grant on Whatsapp
- Add 082 046 8553 as a contact on your phone
- Go on WhatsApp and send a message saying 'hi' to this number
- You will then receive a response and you should then respond saying 'help'
- You will be given various options, reply saying '4'
- This will lead you to the Unathi Sassa platform message which you should reply 'SRD' to
- You then have to confirm whether you're applying for yourself or someone else
- Now the actual application begins and you'll have to submit your name, surname and ID number in the message.
- You will then receive a message on Whatsapp stating the next steps.
Once the application has been approved, the applicant will receive a message requesting their banking details. It is important that the bank account or cellphone number provided for payment is registered in the name of the approved applicant so that the grant can ensure that the payment is going to the correct recipient. The payment will be paid directly into the bank account of the beneficiary should they provide their bank details.
For people who do not bank accounts, the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) will pay through the South African Post Office (Sapo)/Post Bank, or using a bank mobile money transfers (cash send).
It is not necessary to submit multiple applications. Confirmation will be received as soon as the application has been successfully submitted.
Those people who have applied for the grant in the previous round will have to re-apply. Clients who previously cancelled the grant, and who would like to re-activate the grant, due to a change in their circumstances are welcome to re-apply.
The requirements for the SRD grant are as follows:
- South African citizens/permanent residents/refugees/asylum seekers/holders of special permits
- Unemployed
- Have no alternative source of income or financial support from any other source
- Between the ages of 18 and 60
For any grant inquiries, you can call SASSA on their toll-free line on 0800 60 10 11.
