Some big changes are underway regarding the R350 grant supplied by the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA). But what does this mean for beneficiaries?
SASSA’s R350 grant has been a lifeline for many South Africans during and after the pandemic. Millions of people have applied and continue to apply for the grant, which serves as a social relief fund.
Now, some major changes have been implemented in how the grant operates which will undoubtedly have an impact on recipients.
The Department of Social Development has gazetted changes to the regulations governing the payout of the R350 grant, also referred to as the Social Relief Distress (SRD) grant in South Africa, allowing more people to qualify.
When the changes were first proposed in July, Social Development minister Lindiwe Zulu highlighted concerns around the vast number of applications that were being rejected due to the low threshold.
Previously, an applicant earning or receiving more than R350 a month would be disqualified and would no longer be considered to become a recipient of the grant.
But with this new adjustment, this barrier has been moved to R624, allowing more people to qualify.
The changed regulations include the rule that beneficiaries should indicate (by answering questions) whether they still qualify for the grant every 3 months and still need it.
This rule no longer exists.
The rule surrounding verification has also changed. Previously, if verification results obtained from the bank contradict the verification results obtained from data checks, then the bank results would be used to make the final decision regarding application approval or denial.
This rule now no longer stands. Instead, bank verification is not considered the main criteria for determining eligibility.
The value of the grant itself remains R350 per person per month for the period of 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2024.
