The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) distributes more than 18 million permanent grants to vulnerable people living in South Africa. These grants allow beneficiaries to purchase basic goods and necessities monthly.
The most common grant is the R350 Social Relief of Distress Grant, which is also known as the R350 Grant – because that is how much you will receive each month.
If you are between 18 and 59 and do not have any other form of income, you are eligible to receive the R350 SRD grant. You can receive it for the months you have no other income. If you get a job at a later stage then you will stop receiving the monthly grant.
If you believe you are deserving of a Sassa grant, then you can begin your Sassa grant applications.
Where You Can Apply For A Sassa Grant
You can apply for one of the grants distributed by the Sassa office nearest to where you live. There are 9 regional Sassa offices and 46 district offices to assist grant applicants around the country.
However the easiest way to apply for the grant is by using the online methods.
Applying For Other Sassa Grants
Permanent grants distributed by Sassa include the Older Persons grant, Disability grant, War Veterans grant, Foster Child grant, Child Support grant, Child Support Grant top-up and the Grant-in-aid.
You can apply for any of the Sassa grants at the offices mentioned above.
Individuals who are too old or sick to travel to the office to apply for a grant can instruct a family member or friend to apply on your behalf. You must provide them with a letter from you authorising the grant application.
Applications for several grants can be completed online. Applications for Older Person grants, Child Support grants or Foster Child grants can be done online at the Sassa services website.
When your Sassa grant application is completed, you will be given a receipt or a reference number confirming the Sassa application. You are urged to keep your receipt/reference safe as it is your only proof of application.
It’s important to note that it is completely free of charge to apply for a Sassa grant. You do not have to pay any money to apply for a grant.
If Sassa approves your grant applications, you will be paid from the date on which you submitted a complete application, unless you have applied for a foster child grant. Foster child grants are paid from the date of the court order.
If your application is not approved by Sassa, you must be informed in writing as to why your application was unsuccessful. If you do not agree with the decision, you have the right to appeal the decision.
The staff at the local office will advise on the process to follow for your Sassa grant appeal.
If you’ve registered for a Sassa financial aid grant you’ll want to know when you can expect your money.
To find out you need to perform a Sassa status check to see when your pay date will be.
The Social Relief of Distress Grant – Also Known as the SRD Grant or the R350 Grant
How Do You Do A Sassa SRD grant check?
The great news is that you can do an SRD check online so you don’t have to take a taxi to get to a Sassa office and then wait in queues.
To do the Sassa SRD balance status check you just need your cellphone. Follow this link to the official Sassa SRD website to do the status check. Once there you will enter your cellphone number and your South African ID number.
You will usually receive a Sassa status pin code and then that can be entered as well.
Check or Change Your Banking Details
As you can register for the lekka grant online, it’s also great to be able to receive the money directly into your bank account.
Don’t forget that it has to be your bank account as the money won’t be paid into someone else’s account. When you do a Sassa status check you will be able to confirm the banking details you have registered with Sassa. You can do this on the official Sassa website at https://srd.sassa.gov.za
If your bank details don’t change then you don’t ever have to do anything else. However if your banking details do change then you must login to the Sassa website to update your details.
Sassa Grant Payment Dates For 2023
If you are applying for the Sassa R350 grant and want to know the payment dates and when you will get your payment, then you can check them below.
How to Check SASSA StatusOnline?
The best way to check up on your Sassa grants, and specifically your R350 SRD grant, is by using online methods.
So what do you need to do to check SASSA status? Here are the steps to follow so that you can check the status of your application:
Visit the Sassa SRD website https://srd.sassa.gov.za.
Enter your cell phone number inside the box.
Click on the button that says “Send SMS”.
You will receive an SMS with a One Time Pin (OTP) or Sassa status PIN.
Enter your One-Time-Password and you will get access to your SASSA status.
There used to be a specific pay date for the R350 grant but that process has changed and there is now no specific date for payment.
Do A SASSA Status Check Via WhatsApp?
Now the second method to check your SRD grant is using your WhatsApp account. This method is also very easy.
Here are the steps that you need to follow:
Type “082 046 8553” and save this number as “SASSA status check”.
Now open your WhatsApp account.
Head over to create a new chat option to create a new conversation.
Choose “SASSA status check” as the contact to start a chat.
Now type your name, surname, and South African ID number in the message and send it.
Now you will get your social grant status.
How to Check the Application Status Via Phone Call?
There is one other way to check on your Sassa status, but it probably shouldn’t be your first option. This way to check on your status is to phone Sassa on their toll free number.
This is how you can do it:
Use your cellphone or a friends’ cell phone
Dial the Sassa toll free number on 080 060 1011.
You might have to wait for a while but when you are dealt with you will give the operator your South African ID number and confirm your cellphone number. They will then be able to give you your Sassa status update.
Those are the three ways to do your Sassa status check so it is quite easy to say up to date on your Sassa grant status.
Why Is Your SASSA Status Check Showing As Pending?
If you are seeing the message “SASSA status is pending” then it means your payment for this month is not released. However, there is no need to worry at all.
Sometimes, SRD Sassa grant payment dates get late due to many reasons. Also, you need to grant consent for the SASSA to verify your ID and other details in order to get approved.
You will receive a confirmation SMS with a pay date so you can collect the grant money on that day.
What Does It Mean If It Says ‘Bank Details Pending’ on your SASSA Status?
The reference message ‘Bank Details Pending’ is at least one of the most obvious of the error messages you can receive. It means that Sassa has your application, and has approved your application in principle, but they need to know what bank account to pay the money into.
So the thing to do is to submit your banking details online so that Sassa knows what bank account to pay into. Don’t forget that you have to use your own bank account – Sassa will not pay money into someone else’s bank account.
What Does Reapplication Pending Mean for SRD Status Check?
If you see the message that says Reapplication Pending it means that you need to apply again for your Sassa R350 grant. Some people have to reapply for different months so if you check your status and see this code you just need to apply again for this month’s grant.
The previous month’s payments are delivered so you need to apply for this month again.
How to Collect the SASSA Grant Payment?
If you are approved for a grant application and you want to know how to collect grant payments then here are the options. Applicant can collect grant cash from:
Checkers/Shoprite
Bank Mobile Money Transfer
Boxer Stores
Pick-N-Pay
Cash Send
Please note that you can no longer collect your Sassa SRD grant from the Post Office.
