Applying for the R350 grant? Website will be unavailable on these days due to system maintenance

Beneficiaries of the R350 social relief of distress (SRD) grant have been warned they could struggle to access the website to check their grant status or submit applications on certain weekends.

The SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) announced it will take some of its services offline for essential ICT maintenance, including the SRD website. 

Sassa said the application channel will be temporarily offline for some “downtown” from Friday through to late June. 

Which dates will the site be offline?

The dates for system maintenance are as follows:

• May 27 to May 29 ( 5pm Friday to 11pm Sunday)
• June 10 to June 12 (5pm Friday to 11pm Sunday)
• June 24 to June 26 (5pm Friday to 11pm Sunday)

Sassa apologised for the inconvenience. 

“Please be informed that ICT will be running a series of systems and infrastructure maintenance, this will be a process done over four weekends. The first weekend of maintenance was done on May 20-22.

“Beneficiaries should please note that, during these times, the SRD website will not be available. We apologise for any possible inconvenience this maintenance might cause.”

What alternatives can applicants use to apply for the grant? 

Applicants can use Sassa’s WhatsApp application channel to submit applications using the following steps:

• Add 082 046 8553 as a contact on your phone.
• Go on WhatsApp and send a message saying ‘hi’ to the number.
• You will receive a response and you should respond saying ‘help’.
• You will be given different options. Reply saying ‘4’.
• This will lead you to the Sassa platform where you should reply ‘SRD’.
• You will have to confirm whether you are applying for yourself or someone else.
• You will have to submit your first name, surname and ID number in the message. 
• After submitting your documents, you will receive a message on WhatsApp stating the next steps.

The agency urged applicants who reapplied using the website srd.sassa.gov.za not to apply again on WhatsApp. 

How many applicants applied for the grant?

Speaking to TimesLIVE earlier this month, Sassa spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi said about 9-million applications were received for the R350 grant since the application channel opened on April 23. 

He said the agency has seen an increase in new applicants for the grant. 

“Most applications are from those who previously applied for the grant. 

“In the last cycle, more than 15-million applications were received, of which approximately 10.6-million were approved and paid,” said Letsatsi.

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