While many celebrated the scrapping of the national state of disaster by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday night, thoughts turned to the millions who receive a monthly R350 social relief of distress grant introduced under the state of disaster.
The grant was created to help those most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and has provided relief to more than 10-million unemployed people and their families.
The ending of the state of disaster would see an end to the grant, which was recently extended to the end of March 2023. However, Ramaphosa announced that the grant will go ahead as normal while government works on new regulations.
“This will enable the department of social development to finalise the regulations that will allow the payment of the grant to continue,” he explained.
Speaking during a virtual address last month, co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said the grant will continue “through other means”.
“The payment of R350 will continue but will be removed from the national disaster management after 30 days have lapsed and will continue through other means,” she said.
“It would be a pity to stop these payments abruptly. People are allowed to continue to apply for the grants and government, especially the SA Social Security Agency, will continue taking new applications.”
HOW DO I APPLY?
What will happen to the R350 grant when the state of disaster transition regulations end in 30 days?
Image: ANTONIO MUCHAVE
While many celebrated the scrapping of the national state of disaster by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday night, thoughts turned to the millions who receive a monthly R350 social relief of distress grant introduced under the state of disaster.
The grant was created to help those most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and has provided relief to more than 10-million unemployed people and their families.
The ending of the state of disaster would see an end to the grant, which was recently extended to the end of March 2023. However, Ramaphosa announced that the grant will go ahead as normal while government works on new regulations.
“This will enable the department of social development to finalise the regulations that will allow the payment of the grant to continue,” he explained.
Speaking during a virtual address last month, co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said the grant will continue “through other means”.
“The payment of R350 will continue but will be removed from the national disaster management after 30 days have lapsed and will continue through other means,” she said.
“It would be a pity to stop these payments abruptly. People are allowed to continue to apply for the grants and government, especially the SA Social Security Agency, will continue taking new applications.”
HOW DO I APPLY?
I HAVE BEEN APPROVED, WHERE CAN I COLLECT MY MONEY?
If your phone was used to apply for only one grant you can collect the grant from any Pick n Pay, Boxer, Shoprite, Checkers, Usave or OK Foods supermarket as soon as you get a message saying your grant is ready for collection.
You can also choose to have your grant paid into your bank account.
If you choose to collect your grant at the post office, you can collect it on the day determined by the last three digits of your ID number.
Here is when you can collect your R350 grant at a post office this month:
April 8 : 082 & 087
April 11: 083 & 088
April 12: 084 & 089
April 13: 080 & 085
April 14: 081 & 086
April 19: 082 & 087
April 20: 083 & 088
April 21: 084 & 089
April 22: 080 & 085
April 25: 081 & 086
April 26: 082 & 087
April 28: 083 & 088
April 29: 084 & 089
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