R350 grants are being paid from Wednesday: Seven of your questions about payments answered

Applicants who have been approved to receive the R350 social relief of distress grant will start receiving their payments from Wednesday, said the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa). 

The grant will be paid until March 2022 and is aimed at assisting the unemployed and those affected by the unrest and looting that recently ravaged KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. 

According to the department of social development, the grant is “intended for persons in dire material need who are unable to meet their families’ most basic needs”.

Here are seven answers to your questions about the grant payments: 

When can I expect payment?

Payments were set to be made on Monday, but will start from Wednesday. 

“August 23 was initially the planned date but unforeseen circumstances compelled us to start payments on August 25,” said Sassa. 

How will I be paid?

Sassa said those whose applications have been approved will be paid through the payment method they chose when applying.

Earlier this month, Sassa spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi urged applicants to provide their banking details to avoid going to SA Post Office outlets. 

“We appeal to people who are going to make applications for the R350 grant to please give us their banking details because they do not necessarily have to flock to post offices,” he said on 702. 

If I chose the post office payment option, when can I collect?

SA Post Office spokesperson Johan Kruger told TimesLIVE on Monday that payout dates are determined by the beneficiary’s last three digits of their identity document. 

Kruger said applicants will be notified when it is time to collect their grants.

“They will receive an SMS from Sassa to say the grant is ready for collection. We are also working on an SSD code which the beneficiaries will soon be able to use on their phones to check if there is money waiting for them,” he said.

You can check the schedule for payments here.

What if my cellphone number and bank account don’t match?

According to the criteria, Sassa cannot pay your grant into a phone number registered to another person. 

“If the bank account you provided is your own personal account, it will go through,” said Sassa. 

Will I receive the grant if I am not vaccinated?

The grant is not conditional on whether you are vaccinated, Sassa clarified.  

What does ‘your application is active’ mean? 

According to Sassa, this means your application has been received and is being reviewed. 

From there, Sassa will decide whether to approve payment.

Why can’t I see my status?

Sassa said applicants struggling to see their application statuses will be able to view this soon. 

“The application system is processing millions of applications at once. You will be able to view your status soon,” said Sassa.