The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has revealed that nearly 80 000 new people apply for the R370 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant every month.
SASSA: 80 000 NEW APPLICANTS
According to Money Web, the 80 000 new SRD applicants add onto the 9 million people who are already receiving the monthly South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) grant.
Sassa’s spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi says 17.4 million people had applied for the grant by February since it was introduced in May 2020.
May 2024 and January 2025 showed the highest number of new applications, with 171 907 and 168 071, respectively.
The Eastern Cape reported among the highest rates of unemployment with 42% while Gauteng and KZN reported rates of 34% and 30%, respectively.
9.3 million of the total applications had been submitted by women nationwide compared to nearly 8 million men, since the 2020 lockdown.
While over 14 000 applications were applicants from non-South African citizens, who are from Lesotho and asylum seekers.
Sassa reveals that the SRD grant is offered up to the age of 59, but applicants from 35 years and younger were nearly 62%. The organisation also reveals that the largest age group of applicants were people between the ages of 20 to 24 years.
The SRD grant was introduced during the Covid lockdown and was intended to be a short-term solution for millions of people during lockdown. The current extension of the SRD grant will end on 31 March 2025.
WHO QUALIFIES FOR SRD GRANTS?
EWN shares that social grant beneficiaries who have nearly R624 in their bank accounts do not qualify for the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant.
Sassa, SRD applicants who have more than this amount are seen as having other forms of financial assistance.
Social Development Minister, Sisisi Tolashe appealed the order of the court that declared as unconstitutional SASSA’s 2023 regulations governing the distribution of the Social Relief of Distress grant.
Judge Mpostoli Twala of the Pretoria High Court however lamented this and stated that there was no merit in the contention that there was the full realisation in the SRD grant since its introduction in 2020.
HAVE YOU APPLIED FOR THE SASSA SRD GRANT YET?
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