The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) distributes several social support grants. The latest grant distributed by the agency is the R350 grant. This grant was first introduced at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic to support unemployed people during the hard lockdown.
To qualify for the R350 grant, beneficiaries must be between the ages of 19 and 59 years old, unemployed, living within the borders of South Africa and not receiving any other government support in the form of grants. They also cannot benefit from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) or the Unemployment Insurance Fund (Nsfas).
Can caregivers receive the R350 grant?
Sassa said, “Yes, caregivers who do not have any other form of income flowing into their bank accounts that is more than R350 per month, except for the Sassa grant payment will still receive the grant”.
The income threshold for the R350 grant is currently R350. This refers to the amount of money you have in your bank account. Grant applicants who have more than R350 in their bank account will be rejected from receiving the grant.
The Department of Social Development (DSD) has gazetted a proposal that would see this income threshold increased to R624. This is in line with South Africa’s food poverty line. It is believed that this will allow more people to benefit from the R350 grant.
Under the current income threshold, only around 5 million people are benefitting from the R350 grant. The DSD hopes that by moving the R350 grant income threshold to R624, at least 10 million people will qualify and be paid the R350 grant.
