The Department of Social Development (DSD) has raised concerns regarding the backlog in the payment of the R350 grant appeal applications. Now, Sassa has said that payments have begun.
Despite continuing to pay out the current cycle of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) appeared to be experiencing difficulties with processing the backlog of appeal payments.
On Wednesday, Sassa announced that payments for R350 grant appeals are officially underway after delays were seen for months since August 2024.
Sassa said the following:
THE PROCESS HAS NOW ENDED AND THOSE WHO QUALIFY WILL START RECEIVING THEIR PAYMENT THIS WEEK. CHECK YOUR BANK NOTIFICATION FOR PAYMENT.
They then urge beneficiaries to not visit Post Offices to collect SRD grant payments and to instead go to one of the participating retail outlets such as PicknPay, Boxer, Checkers, Shoprite or USave.
Previously, during a virtual parliamentary briefing by officials from the Department of Social Development (DSD) and Sassa regarding the new regulations on the payment of the Social Relief Distress (SRD) grant and other social grants, concerns were raised regarding the Department’s challenges relating to the processing of R350 grant appeal payments.
The DSD Minister, Lindiwe Zulu, told the Committee that Sassa approved 10.9 million SRD grant applications, with 1 million appeals still to be reviewed and paid out R30 billion in the previous cycle of the grant.
Zulu expressed her concern about the delays in resolving the appeals and promised the Committee that the department will work to speed up the process.
Linton Mchunu, Acting Director-General for the Development, stated that R350 grant applicants will be compensated back to the date on which they filed their appeal, depending on the circumstances of the appeal and if it is successful.
