The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has released the payment dates for the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant in February 2024.
Sassa disburses this grant to over 8 million unemployed adults every month. Beneficiaries can expect the SRD grant payments for February to be processed during the final week of the month, specifically from 23 February 2024, to 29 February 2024.
During the designated payment week, grant recipients are advised to check their Sassa status on the SRD website to ascertain the precise date of their grant payment deposition into their bank accounts.
Sassa also emphasises that, following the processing of payments, it typically takes approximately 2-3 working days for the funds to reflect in the beneficiaries' bank accounts.
Funds will take about 2 - 3 working days to reflect in the client’s account after payment has been processed.
For those who have received approval for the SRD grant payment but lack a specified pay date, Sassa clarifies that this occurrence is often due to the unavailability of accurate and updated bank details.
Grant beneficiaries in this situation are urged to update their banking information on the SRD grant website. To ensure the correctness of the details Sassa holds for them, especially if they have not received payment, individuals are advised to visit the SASSA SRD website.
Concerning a pending SRD grant status, Sassa explains that this status indicates the ongoing verification of the application for that particular month. Sassa encourages beneficiaries with a pending SRD grant status to exercise patience while the agency completes the verification process.
Why SRD Grants Are Paid Later Than Permanent Sassa Grant
To qualify for the SRD grant in South Africa, applicants must meet strict eligibility criteria set by Sassa. They need to be SA citizens, permanent residents, or special permit holders.
They may not be receiving other government support in the form of UIF benefits or NSFAS bursaries. Their bank account should have less than R624 to be eligible for the R350 grant.
Sassa conducts verification checks in collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs for identity and citizenship checks and shares bank details with the Department of Treasury for income verification.
Once satisfied with eligibility, Sassa proceeds with payments, and this verification process accounts for the end-of-month payment schedule.
The verification process is conducted each month and is concluded towards the end of the month. This is why SRD grant payments are usually disbursed in the final week of every month.
How To Check If Your SRD Grant Application Was Successful
SRD grant applicants can complete a Sassa status check to see if they were approved for grant payments. If an applicant’s SRD Sassa Application is rejected, they may submit a SRD grant appeal to the Independent Tribunal For Social Assistance Appeals (ITSAA).
