Sassa assures R350 grant will be paid

BENIDA PHILLIPS STAFF REPORTER

THE SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) has assured Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant beneficiaries who have been approved but have not yet received payment prior to the deadline, that they will still receive the money owed to them.

Sassa spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi said that payment to approved recipients will be done as soon as possible.

“Sassa has noticed that some unpaid but approved applicants are panicking and as a result tend to gather at post offices requesting payment. All such applicants of the special Covid-19 SRD grant, who have been approved but not yet paid, can rest assured that they will be

paid as soon as possible,” said Letsatsi.

“The agency confirms that payment will be made for all approved grants as soon as confirmation of funding has been made as these payments are from the previous financial year.”

Letsatsi said the fund has, however, ended for other beneficiaries.

“As part of the government’s measures to prevent and combat the spread of Covid-19,

Sassa was mandated to provide the special Covid-19 social relief grant from May 2020 to October 2020 initially, and was further extended to January 2021 and April

2021 respectively. Even after the grant has ended, payments will be made to those deserving approved clients. The payment may not necessarily come as a double payment or a lump sum or on the same day. It can be split over days or weeks.

“Sassa wishes to unreservedly apologise to all unpaid clients of the special Covid19 SRD grant for any inconvenience this has caused,” Letsatsi said.