Durban - After an outcry by unemployed South Africans who were promised a R350 grant to face the economic hardships brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has promised to speed up the paymentent process.
Established in the wake of the impact of the national lockdown the Social Relief of Distress grant was to provide a cushion for South African citizens in the wake of the economic fallout due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Qualifying applicants were to receive a monthly payment of R 350 if they met the criteria including being unemployed, not receiving an income, they are above the age of 18 or receiving other forms of government assistance.
This week South Africans expressed their frustration after their applications were rejected with messages from Sassa stating they didn't qualify because they had a secondary income despite having been unemployed and without an income for an extended length of time.
Sassa CEO Totsie Memela said that the agency had been made aware of the recent complaints and explained that applicants had been rejected because they were already in the database of the UIF or qualified to receive UIF funds.
Memela advised these individuals to contact the Department of Employment and Labour to apply for UIF or follow up on their applications.
“We are doing everything in our power to solve the matter and a dedicated email address and phone number have been made available to process complaints. Our aim is to pay the right grant to the right people."
“We continue to work hard to ensure that those who qualify get what is due to them. Our main aim is to support the government in alleviating poverty especially during these difficult times but we have to follow the required processes and we appeal for patience from those whose applications we have not reached so far,” Added Memela.
According to Memela 3.2 million citizens have qualified for the grant and 1.2 million grants have been paid out and delay of payments for the remainder has been due to the verification process that the agency has to conduct with other role players.
Individuals with grievances regarding their applications have been advised to contact Sassa on 0800 60 10 11 or send them an email on [email protected].