The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) distributes the Older Persons pension grant, Disability grant, War Veterans grant, Care Dependency grant, Foster Child grant, Child Support grant, Child Support grant Top-Up and Grant-in-aid. They also distributed the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant.
The SRD grant is a temporary financial support programme for unemployed South Africans. Applications are open every month. Once approved, you don't need to reapply unless your circumstances change.
How to Apply for the R370 SRD Grant
Online Application
- Visit the official SASSA SRD grant website (https://srd.sassa.gov.za/).
- Choose your citizenship status (South African ID Holder or Asylum Seeker/Special Permit Holder).
- Click the yellow "Click here to apply online" button under the relevant section.
- Enter your mobile number and verify using the one-time pin (OTP) sent by SASSA.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the application.
WhatsApp Application
- Save the SASSA number (082 046 8553) to your phone contacts.
- Open WhatsApp and initiate a chat by sending "Hi".
- Reply with "Help" for further instructions after receiving SASSA's response.
- Choose "4" to access the SASSA platform message, then reply with "SRD" to proceed.
- Confirm if applying for yourself or someone else. Then, provide your name, surname, and ID number directly in the chat.
- Follow the further instructions received to complete the application.
Checking your SASSA Grant Status
You can conveniently check your application status after applying through:
- Online: Visit the SASSA SRD website.
- WhatsApp: Send "Status" to the SASSA WhatsApp number.
SRD Grant Increase
In March 2024, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced that the SRD grant payment would be increased from R350 to R370.
Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu also confirmed the insertion of Section 6C into the Social Assistance Act. This was a critical choice as it will ensure that individuals who previously qualified for the SRD grant will continue being paid until May 2024. Section 6C is a temporary measure to keep things running smoothly while they switch to the new system.
To ensure uninterrupted assessments and payments made during the transition between the Regulations published on 29 March 2023 under Notice No: and these Amendment Regulations, the Agency may use data used during the March 2024 assessment cycle, in terms of regulation 2, for continued assessments of clients up to 31 May 2024.
The legislation enabled Sassa to use a beneficiary’s March 2024 assessment information to determine if a beneficiary is eligible for an SRD grant payment in April 2024. This eliminates payment delays for the coming months.
SRD grant payments are usually made in the last week of the month after verification. However, its important to remember that Sassa grant payments are not made on weekends and public holidays.
