SASSA Grant Appeal

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Have you applied for the SASSA SRD (Social Relief Of Distress) Grant? Was your application declined? Don’t worry, at Quick Read Magazine South Africa, we’ve got everything you need to know about how to appeal the decision or appeal SASSA’s rejection of your R350 grant application.

SASSA SRD Criteria

Before you appeal the SASSA decision by lodging an appeal with the Department of Social Development (DSD), you need to ensure that you meet the criteria to apply for the SRD R350 Grant. Your application might be rejected because you do not meet some of the eligibility requirements, for a number of reasons. To qualify for the SASSA SRD grant, you must:

  • Be a South African Citizen, Permanent Resident or Refugee registered on the Department Of Home Affairs system and be resident within the borders of the Republic of South Africa;
  • Above the age of 18 years old;
  • Be unemployed;
  • Not be receiving any income;
  • Not be receiving any social grants;
  • Not be contributing to or eligible for UIF payments;
  • Not receiving a stipend from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS);
  • Not be resident in a government funded or subsidised institution.

If you’ve met all the qualifying criteria for the SRD Grant but your application was still declined and you disagree with the decision, then you are allowed to lodge an application appeal. The next section teaches you how to submit an appeal, so that SASSA can reconsider your application. Learn more about how to apply for the SRD grant here.

Lodging a SASSA Appeal

Appeals must be lodged with the Department of Social Development (DSD) for each month your application was declined. The process to lodge an appeal will be provided with the notification that your application has been declined. Failure to request appeal for each month that the application is declined will result in the original decision sustained. Appeals must be submitted within 30 days of receiving your rejection (you may not appeal more than 90 days after your decline). View SASSA Payment dates for other types of grants here.

Please note that the new SASSA’s system for appeals only applies to rejected or declined R350 SRD grants applications from April 2022 onwards.

Submit an appeal for your SRD Grant here

SASSA will require your South African ID number and the cellphone number used to submit your application. If you are curious about SASSA payment dates, click here.

It is very important to note the below details when submitting your appeal:

  • Visit the SASSA SRD website at srd.sassa.gov.za and make sure that your contact details are correct. If your contact details are not correct, make sure you visit https://srd.sassa.gov.za/sc19/contact and enter correct details. If your appeal is successful the Independent Tribunal will direct SASSA to initiate the payment of the Covid-19 SRD directly to you and accordingly need to have your correct contact information. After updating your information on the link provided, if applicable, click “Save” and thereafter you will be automatically redirected back to the SRD DSD Appeal website to continue to lodge your appeal.
  • Appellants or their proxy who are appealing, will have to confirm that they have read and accepted the clauses in the Declaration and Consent Documents.
  • After submitting your appeal, you will be directed to a confirmation message on the page that your application was submitted successfully.
  • Please note, a SASSA grant appeal application needs to be lodged in relation to each month where a person is rejected by SASSA, if in disagreement with the decision.
  • The Independent Tribunal will inform you of the outcome of your appeal electronically, within a period of 60 – 90 days from lodging of the appeal.
  • If you need more information or queries, contact the Department of Social Development Independent Tribunal for Social Assistance Appeals (ITSAA) at: Tel: 012 312 7727 / Email: [email protected] / Fax: 086 534 3124 or 086 216 371

Check your SASSA grant status here

Application for Reconsideration SASSA Decline Reasons

If your Sassa grant application status says declined after you have submitted an appeal, and your application was yet again declined, unfortunately there’s nothing more you can do about it. The decision of the ITSSA is the final and no further internal recourse will be available. You can no longer appeal with DSD or SASSA. Here are the reasons why your SASSA SRD application was declined:

  • alternative_income_source_identified: this means that applicant had funds flowing into their bank account more than the specific income threshold for that specific period. August 2021 – March 2022 = R595, April 2022 – July 2022 = R350 and August 2022 – March 2023 = R624.
  • Indentity_verfication_failed: this means that personal details provided during their SRD grant application did not match their details according to the Department Of Home Affairs.
  • Existing_sassa_grant: this means that the applicant is receiving another grant from Sassa.
  • Debtor: This means that the applicant was paid the R350 grant for months when they didn’t qualify. The applicant will only receive new SRD grant payments wants they pay back the money they received previously when they did not qualify for the SRD grant.
  • Nsfas_registered: this means that Sassa detected that the applicant is receiving funds from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) during the period of consideration.
  • uif_registered: this means that Sassa detected that the applicant is registered with the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) during the period of consideration.
  • Gov_payrol_registered: this means the applicant was in the employment of a government institution during the period of consideration.
  • age_outside_range(>60): this means the applicant does not qualify for the SRD as they qualify for the older persons grant.
  • age_outside_range(<18): this means the applicant does not qualify for the SRD grant as they qualify for the child support grant.
  • Deceased record on DHA: this means the client was registered as deceased on the Department of Home Affairs website during the period of consideration

How to Cancel Your SASSA SRD Grant

If your conditions changed so that you no longer need or qualify for the special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant, you may cancel your application by following the below steps.

  1. Go to the Social Relief of Distress Grant dashboard – srd.sassa.gov.za
  2. Scroll to the Cancel my Application option.
  3. Click on ‘click here to cancel online’
  4. Enter your South African ID number and mobile phone number
  5. The click on ‘send PIN’

How To Reinstate Your R350 Grant Online

If you previously canceled your special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant, but would like to reinstate it, follow the below steps:

  1. Go to srd.sassa.gov.za.
  2. Navigate to ‘Reinstate my canceled application’
  3. Click on the bar that says ‘click here to reinstate online’
  4. Enter your South African ID number and mobile phone number
  5. Then click ‘send PIN’
  6. Enter OTP sent to the mobile number.
  7. Continue the application process by filing in the steps.

SRD Grant Payments

The SRD Grant is meant for South African Citizens, Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Special Permit Holders who are between the ages of 18 and 60 years. The SRD Grants are not paid on specific dates unlike other social grants.

Once your SRD grant application is submitted and approved, SRD Grant applicants will receive an SMS from SASSA once their grant is available for withdrawal. Beneficiaries may collect their Sassa payments from selected supermarkets such as Boxer, Shoprite, Checkers, OK, Pick n Pay and USave, and also have the money deposited into their bank accounts or receive funds through their SASSA card or CashSend.

Conclusion

In this article, you’ve learnt how to appeal your rejection for the SASSA SRD R350 Grant. You have the right to appeal to have your application reconsidered. SASSA gives a chance to a SASSA grant application which was rejected in the form of a SASSA appeal.

Image Courtesy: Unsplash 

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