There has been a high level of frustration expressed by South Africans and lobby groups regarding the delayed payment of Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grants. According to the government agency responsible for paying out the grant, a number of factors have contributed to the delay.
What Causes R350 Grant Appeal Delays
Initially, the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) had committed to administering the amount of R350 for the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) for six months, but as the pandemic progressed, a lot needed to be changed since millions of people were still unemployed.
The threshold regulations were changed due to pressure from lobby groups and unemployment statistics. The Sassa General Manager Brenton van Vrede explained that every time threshold regulations are amended, all financial institutions must also update their algorithms, so that they can assess SRD grant applicants.
Just under a million people have been approved for the grant, but the government may have made a mistake or changed some details, causing the grant payments to be delayed.
In an interview, Vrede has also explained
- People have provided Sassa with the incorrect bank account details and some changing them, which has then resulted in payment failures.
Many of the individuals experiencing delays are also waiting for National Treasury verification of their bank accounts, according to Sassa.Sassa is facing backlogs due to changed regulations and the fact that some applicants had to appeal, with bank account information contributing to delays.
In order to ensure payments are made, Sassa has requested that grant applicants meet the government agency halfway by being more diligent when entering their bank account details in the application system.
Until then, Vrede has confirmed that Sassa is working around the clock to resolve the backlog issue, so that payments can be made on time.
The SRD website also advises applicants to update their personal information if their details change. As a result, funds will be easily accessed by the rightful grant beneficiary and will be easily accessible without any hassles.