The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) offers the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant as financial assistance for those who are unable to provide for their, or their families' most basic needs.
The SRD grant is a temporary grant that may come in the form of a food parcel, a voucher or cash.
In order to qualify for the SRD grant you need to meet the following criteria:
- You’re awaiting payment of an approved social grant
- You don’t qualify for a grant, and you’re in a desperate situation.
- You’re medically unfit to undertake remunerative work for less than 6 months.
- The breadwinner of the family has died.
- The breadwinner has been sent to prison for a short time (less than six months).
- A crisis or disaster has occurred, (e.g. your house has burnt down).
- You’re not a member of a household that's already receiving social assistance.
- You’re supposed to be getting maintenance payments, but you’re not getting them and you can't find the person who is supposed to pay.
- You’re not receiving assistance from any other organisation.
- Those who have had disasters in their communities such as floods and fires as defined in the Disaster Management Act, 1978.
Usually the SRD grant is issued monthly for a maximum period of 3 months. However, in special cases the grant can be extended by a couple of months.
So where do you apply for the Social Relief of Distress grant?
You can visit your nearest Sassa office or send an email to [email protected]. You will have to submit the following documents with your application:
- Your ID document.
- Your name and surname as captured in your ID.
- Gender and disability.
- Your banking details.
- Your contact details.
- Proof of your residential address.
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit South Africa, many people had lost their jobs due to the lockdown. Sassa then decided to provide the Special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant of R350 every month in order to provide individuals who are currently unemployed with financial assistance.
In order to qualify for this grant, individuals must not receive any other form of income.
Applications for the R350 grant are currently open and will be closing in March 2022.
Sassa has created many channels through which applicants can apply such as:
- Website: https://srd.sassa.gov.za
- WhatsApp: 082 046 8553
- USSD line: Dial *134*7737#
- GovChat: https://govchat.app/login\
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/govchat.org
The R350 SRD grant is paid to South African citizens or permanent residents, who have insufficient means and meet one or more of the following criteria:
- A South African Citizen, Permanent Resident or Refugee registered on the Home Affairs database and persons who are holders of special permits under the Special Angolan Dispensation.
- The Lesotho Exemption Permit dispensation and the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit Dispensation, and asylum seekers whose section 22 permits or visas are valid.
- Currently residing within the borders of the Republic of South Africa
- If you are above the age of 18 and below the age of 60.
- You must be Unemployed.
- not receiving an unemployment insurance benefit and does not qualify to receive an unemployment insurance benefit
- Not receiving a stipend from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme and other financial aid.
- Not receiving any other government COVID-19 response support.
- If you are not a resident in a government funded or subsidised institution.
- Care givers who are not receiving any grant on their own behalf will also have to apply for the special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant.
Please contact the SASSA toll free number: 0800 60 10 11, or email: [email protected] for more details.
You can also follow Sassa on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook for any communications regarding this grant.
