Beneficiaries do not need to reapply for R350 social relief of distress (SRD) grant in April 2023, the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) says.
The Agency issued the reminder via a poster on Twitter on Friday (21 April). This was in response to inquiries by some beneficiaries who were apparently worried that they might lose out on grant payments for this month.
No need to reapply for R350 SRD grant
SASSA’s tweet is the clearest confirmation that indeed, recipients do not need to reapply for R350 SRD grant. There’s therefore no reason to worry about a reapplication at all.
“The grant will continue as normal. Those who applied previously for the grant do not need to reapply. Please remember that every month, your application will be checked to verify if you still qualify for the grant,” SASSA explained.
In October last year, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced that the government will extend the grant for one more year until March 2024. Before the extension, the grant had been expected to end in March this year.
The extension may have sparked concerns among some beneficiaries that they needed to reapply, but SASSA has now confirmed that this is not the case.
The government is also in the process of devising a Basic Income Support (BIS) that will succeed the SRD grant once it ends in March next year, Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu revealed in her State of the Nation debate speech earlier this year.
“If ours were not a society and economy that were structured to benefit the absolute few, there would be fewer reasons necessitating this intervention,” Zulu said.
“Noting South Africa’s unique characteristics and circumstances, it is important that the design of a Basic Income Support should resonate with the fiscal space while supporting our intended social outcomes and future-targeted policy objectives.”