Nine reasons why your R350 Covid-19 social relief of distress grant may be declined

The SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) has listed several reasons why applications for the R350 social relief of distress grant may be declined by the agency. 

This comes after more than 3.7-million applications were declined for August. 

During his national address on Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said out of the 13-million applications, 8.3-million were approved and payments have started to recipients.

He said the reasons applications have been declined were “mainly because applicants have other identified sources of income or are registered for assistance with  Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).”

Applicants who have been declined have 30 days to appeal for reconsideration. 

Here are nine reasons why your grant application may be declined, according to Sassa:

Alternative income source identified

This means Sassa has identified the applicant has an income flow of more than R595 per month.

Sassa monitors your bank account cash flows. Receiving funds regularly through an e-wallet account or cash send will be identified as an alternative income source.

Identity verification failed 

The personal information provided does not match the department of home affairs’ details.

Reasons for identity verification errors include the misspelling of the name or surname or omission of one letter or letters in the name. 

Sassa advises applicants to enter the ID number, names and surname exactly as they are on the ID document or Smart ID card.

Existing Sassa grant

The applicant is currently a recipient of a social grant.

According to Sassa, a person who is receiving any social grant in respect of himself or herself does not qualify for the R350 social relief of distress grant.

NSFAS registered

The applicant is receiving a benefit from the NSFAS.

“If you are funded by the NSFAS, you do not qualify for the R350 grant,” said the NSFAS.

“Furthermore, the NSFAS does not take the R350 grant into account when processing applications for funding as such a grant does not form part of the eligibility criteria for the NSFAS bursary.”

UIF registered

The applicant is in receipt of or eligible for a UIF benefit.

The grant is paid to individuals who are unemployed and do not receive any form of income, social grant or UIF payment.

Government payroll registered

The applicant is in employment in a government institution. 

Sassa warned  it is the responsibility of every citizen whose financial circumstances change, even while they are receiving the grant, to immediately inform the agency of the change.

Age outside range 

The applicant does not qualify for the grant due to not meeting the age requirement.

The R350 grant social relief of distress grant is not payable to people under 18 and over the age of 60. 

Referred linked risk mobile

This means a fraudulent application has been received from this cellphone number. 

Sassa cannot make the grant payment into a mobile phone number that is registered to another person or one which poses a security risk. 

Referred SA Fraud Prevention Service 

This means the applicant is registered as a perpetrator of fraud with the SA Fraud Prevention Services (SAFPS). 

“Sassa may verify the applicant’s information against commercial risk management institutions such as TransUnion and SAFPS for the purposes of ensuring the applicant is not a perpetrator of fraud,” said the agency.