The Department of Social Development (DSD) recently revealed that roughly 8 million grant applications were approved for the Social Relief Distress (SRD) grant in January 2023 alone.
However, thousands of applicants across the country have faced challenges as they tried to access the grant provided by the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa)
When applying for the grant, Sassa provides various payment options for grant beneficiaries to select from including, the Post Bank system, Cashsend option, personal bank accounts, and money transfers via major banks.
According to the agency, it has faced challenges, particularly with clients who selected payment options through “Post bank” and “Cashsend”.
In a recent tweet Sassa wrote:
“Clients who have been approved for the COVID-19 SRD but no payment date is indicated on their January status or earlier months, and have selected to be paid through Postbank or Cashsend are urged to open bank accounts and upload them on the system to fast-track payments”
Beneficiaries who have been approved for the grant but have not received a payment date for January or earlier months are now encouraged to open personal bank accounts and upload their bank details on the SRD website.
Here’s How To Upload Your Banking Details:
- Visit the Sassa SRD website.
- Scroll to “How do I change my banking details”.
- Enter your ID Number.
- An SMS containing a secure link, unique to you, will be sent to the mobile phone number with which you registered during the application.
- Click on the link in the SMS.
- Follow the instructions carefully
To avoid any fraudulent activity, Sassa has affirmed that grant payments will only be paid into the beneficiaries account, and not into another person’s bank account.
The DSD has noted that it is mostly young people who receive the R350 SRD grant that was introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic to assist those who could no longer make a living due to its impact.
Other government initiatives to assist impacted individuals are currently in place, include free housing, utilities, education, disability, and health.
