The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) distributes social grants, including the Sassa R370 grant, to millions of South Africans each month.
As of April 2024, the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant amount has increased to R370. This represents a 5.7% increase from the previous amount of R350.
It's important to track your application status to stay informed as to whether you will be paid.
Here's How To Do A Sassa Status Check
Online:
- Visit the official Sassa SRD website.
- Locate the "Application Status" section.
- Enter your South African ID number and application phone number.
- Click "Check Status." You may receive a one-time security PIN (OTP) via SMS.
- Enter the OTP to view your application status.
Via WhatsApp:
- Save the Sassa WhatsApp number (082 046 8553) to your contacts.
- Open WhatsApp and message Sassa with "Status" followed by your ID number.
- Sassa will reply with your application details, including any payment dates (if applicable) and your eligibility status.
Ensure you have your South African ID number and application phone number ready.
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 confirmed the grant increase of R20 in Government Notice No. R. 3210 of 29 March 2023.
The increased grant amount of R370 came into effect on 1 April 2024 and beneficiaries are set to benefit from the increased amount at the end of the month.
Preventing Payment Delays
Earlier this month, Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu 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.
