SASSA has urged those hoping to apply for the R350 grant to ensure that they meet the eligibility criteria.
The grant will be paid monthly until March 2022, granted that applicants continue to meet the eligibility criteria.
Eligibility criteria for R350 Grant:
- Be a South African Citizen, Permanent Resident or Refugee registered on the Home Affairs database.
- The grant is also open to persons who are holders of special permits under the Special Angolan Dispensation, the Lesotho Exemption Permit dispensation and the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit Dispensation, and asylum seekers whose section 22 permits or visas are valid or were valid on 15 March 2020;
- Currently residing within the borders of the Republic of South Africa;
- Above the age of 18 and below the age of 60;
- Unemployed;
- Not receiving any social grant in respect of himself or herself;
- Not receiving an unemployment insurance benefit and does not qualify to receive an unemployment insurance benefit;
- Not receiving a stipend from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and other financial aid;
- Not receiving any other government COVID-19 response support; and
- Not a resident in a government funded or subsidised institution.
Caregivers who are not receiving any grant on their own behalf are also eligible to apply for the R350 grant.
“We would like to reiterate that only those who meet the criteria and have no financial support from any source should apply for this grant.” SASSA said.
If you meet the eligibility criteria for the R350 grant, you can apply on one of the following platforms:
- SASSA website – https://srd.sassa.gov.za
- Email – srd@sassa.gov.za
- WhatsApp: 082 046 8553 (send a Whatsapp message to this number. Make sure to include your name, surname and ID number in the Whatsapp message. You will then receive a message which will detail the next steps you need to follow.)
- USSD line: Dial *134*7737# and follow the prompts
- GovChat: https://govchat.app/login\
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/govchat.org
Applications can only be submitted once and only on one application platform. The first round of grant payments started on 25 August 2021.
Old applicants will have to reapply for the grant in order to be considered. This comes as SASSA hopes to verify the details of all applicants by following a new system.
“It is also important to emphasise that the previous SRD grant expired on 30 April 2021 and this means that all those who had previously applied must re-apply again, in order to enable us to assess their eligibility as we did every month during the previous period, and all applications will be treated as new applications every month.” SASSA explained.