SASSA application 2022/2023: R350 grant, application channels, process, forms, status

Home / SASSA application 2022/2023: R350 grant, application channels, process, forms, status

SASSA application 2022 – The Covid 19 pandemic affected almost every sector of the global economy. Businesses suffered great financial loss because of the stay-at-home regulation that governed the whole of 2020. Consequently, the South African government opened the SASSA application in 2020 to help the most affected South Africans meet their basic needs during the lockdown.

SASSA application 2021 — SASSA application 2022

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) application is an initiative of the South African government through its Ministry of Social Development. The program’s objective is to provide an R350 grant to millions of South Africans who meet the requirement for the monthly stipend. Although the South African government stopped the grant in April 2022, it has decided to continue it after several outcries from different sections of the masses.

Overview of the R350 grant

The R350 grant was a measure put in place by the South African government to fast track economic recovery. Specifically, it is aimed at providing relief funds for the less privileged in society.

The South African government started paying the R350 in May 2020 to relieve some unemployed South Africans of the financial difficulties that came with the pandemic. Over 10 million South Africans applied for the initial phase, which ended in April 2021.

However, the SASSA R350 grant was extended after most beneficiaries and those not as fortunate pleaded with the government to reopen the SASSA application for R350. The government listened to their pleas and announced the reinstatement of the program in July 2021.

Do I have to reapply for the R350 grant?

es, you have to fill new application forms and go through a series of application processes to benefit from the SASSA R350 grant extension.

Lindiwe Zulu, the minister for social development, stated that some of the previous beneficiaries might have taken up new employment opportunities.

However, since the initiative is majorly for the less privileged, such individuals would be ineligible to continue benefiting from the grant.

The social development minister also said that the government would not be paying prospective beneficiaries for the months when the stipend stopped. Since the SASSA grant initially ended in April 2021, beneficiaries will not be paid for May, June, and July 2021.

Moreover, the minister noted that the R350 grant extended timeframe is between August 2021 and March 2022. At the same time, over 9.5 million South Africans between 18 and 59 years, including caregivers and foreigners with a permanent residence permit, will benefit from the plan.

Yes, interested parties can apply for the R350 grant from the comfort of their homes and on their mobile devices. You do not have to go to SASSA offices. Some of the application channels include WhatsApp, shortcodes and the SASSA website.

How To Apply For SASSA 2021 Grant

If you want to know how to apply for SASSA, the steps to follow, depending on the channel you want to use, are explained below:

1. To apply through WhatsApp, follow the steps below

Add the phone number 082 046 8553 on WhatsApp
Send a message that includes your first and last name as well as your Identity number;
You will get a response about the next steps of the application process.

2. To apply through the USSD short code, dial *134*7737# on your phone and follow the prompt.

3. To apply through the official website, visit srd.SASSA.gov.za and follow the detailed steps.

Application eligibility

Anybody who hopes to benefit from the SASSA.gov.za initiative must meet the following requirements:

Must be a South African Citizen
Must either be a registered refugee or have a permanent residence with verifiable details in the database of the home affairs
Must hold a special permit under the Zimbabwe exemption permit dispensation, special Angolan dispensation and Lesotho exemption permit dispensation
Must be between the age of 18 and 59 as of the time of application
Must be unemployed
Must not be a resident of a government-funded or subsidised institution
Must be living within the Republic of South Africa
Must not be a current beneficiary of other coronavirus response support
Must not be benefiting from a social grant
A caregiver who is not already a beneficiary of any other grant will be for the SASSA application during lockdown
Must not be a beneficiary of an employment insurance benefit

SASSA application status check

After applying for the grant, how do you know if your application has been approved? You can confirm if you will be a beneficiary of the relief fund by following the steps below:

Log into the official SRD SASSA website
Click on the “Application Status” icon and then the “click here to check online” icon
Fill in the required details
You will find your application status for the grant

The R350 monthly stipend will be sent through the bank details provided by approved beneficiaries. Besides, beneficiaries without a bank account can receive their relief funds through the Bank mobile transfers, South African Post Bank, or Post Office.

To ensure effective disbursement, the Communications and Digital Technologies Minister, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, has implored the boards of the South African Post Office (SAPO) and Postbank to fast track the digitisation of banking services to make them more efficient.

The SASSA application processes and verification are tedious, but this is to ensure that only deserving individuals get the grant. The SASSA grant enquiries contact details are available on the official page of the ministry in charge.