The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has revealed why grant application status can vary from month to month for the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant.
Millions of unemployed people applied for the SRD grant and were approved for payment. However, many people who were approved for SRD grant payments have announced challenges in subsequent months.
Some SRD grant beneficiaries have complained that they were approved for payment for one month but were rejected from receiving SRD grant payments for subsequent months. Other clients complained that they were approved for payment for one month but their applications for subsequent payments are pending.
Example: September is approved but August is declined
-Possible explanation: Income found on the database for august was over R624 but September was not
Example: September is approved but August is still pending
-Possible explanation: a backlog of applications as Sassa deals with them month to month
Sassa undertakes several verification checks to ensure that SRD grant applicants are deserving of the grant. Concerning the SRD grant, Sassa undertakes verification checks monthly.
One of these verification checks is done by checking the applicant's bank account for funds exceeding the allowed threshold. The bank verification aims to ensure the SRD grant applicant is eligible to receive the grant.
Sassa will verify that the applicant does not exceed the SRD grant threshold of R624. If an applicant exceeds the income threshold, their SRD grant application will be rejected while if the amount of money in their bank account is below the threshold, they will be approved for payment.
This means that grant applicants may qualify for the SRD grant for one month and not the next depending on the money in their bank account.
It is therefore important that SRD grant applicants have their bank account and do not provide information on a bank account belonging to another person. This is because the money that is reflected in a relative/friend’s bank account could result in an SRD grant applicant being rejected for payment.
Sassa added that grants for some months may be pending due to a backlog of applications.
The agency also revealed that the bank verification process does not have a set timeframe. This as the applicant's details will be sent to the Department of Treasury; to the specific bank chosen by the applicant and when it is verified it then goes back to Treasury and is lastly handed over to Sassa for payment.
