Reasons for SRD Grant Applications Declined in South Africa

SRD Grant Applications Declined: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has established a Special COVID-19 350 Social Relief of Distress Grant to assist those who have been impacted. This grant is intended for unemployed individuals with no income, and the application process involves filling out a form available on the SASSA website. However, many applicants have had their SRD grant applications declined, prompting the question: why are some applications being rejected?

After submitting an application, applicants can check the status of their application via the SASSA SRD website, USSD helpline, or Moya app. SASSA takes approximately 90 days to verify applications and, if approved, payments are disbursed accordingly. If an application is rejected, SASSA will provide the reason for the rejection in a letter.

To gain insight into why COVID-19 350 Social Relief of Distress Grant applications may be declined by SASSA, continue reading.

Reasons for Rejection of Your Special COVID-19 Grant Application by SASSA

SASSA has experienced a high number of rejected applications for the COVID-19 grant, with nearly 4 million applications being rejected due to qualification criteria. This amounts to approximately 50% of all applications received. However, upon further review, it was discovered that over 80% of these rejected applications actually met the necessary criteria.

To address this issue, SASSA has sent messages to all qualified applicants asking them to respond in order to receive their payments. This was due to a technical issue in the agency’s database. SASSA has since made changes to the qualification criteria in order to clarify the application process, resulting in many previously declined applications being approved and payments being sent out.

Despite these improvements, there are still some applications that remain unapproved due to other reasons. SASSA continues to review declined applications in order to identify the root cause of rejection and provide support to those in need.

Why SASSA May Reject Your COVID-19 Application

When applying for a COVID-19 grant through the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), it’s important to be aware of the reasons for which your application may be rejected.

Here are some common grounds on which SASSA can reject your application:

• Additional income sources identified: SASSA may reject your application if you have an alternate source of income, or if payments into your bank account exceed the specified threshold for the given period of time.
• Identity verification failed: If the personal information provided in your application does not match the data sent to SASSA by the Department of Home Affairs, your application may be rejected.
• Member of another SASSA grant: If you are already receiving another SASSA grant, including the COVID-19 grant, your application may be rejected.
• NSFAS beneficiary: If you are currently a beneficiary of the National Students Financial Aid Scheme, your COVID-19 grant application may be rejected.
• Employed in government job: If you are employed in a government job, SASSA may reject your application.
• Above 60 years of age: If you are 60 years or older, your application for the COVID-19 grant may be rejected. There is a separate grant for seniors.
• Below 18 years of age: Children below the age of 18 are not eligible for the COVID-19 grant.
• Registered in UIF: If SASSA finds that you are registered in the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), your application may be rejected.
• Fraudulent application: If your application is found to be fraudulent, SASSA will reject it.
• Proven as a fraud: If the South African Fraud Prevention Services determines that you are involved in fraudulent activities, SASSA may reject your application.

If you believe that SASSA has rejected your application on invalid grounds, you can file a reconsideration appeal.

How to Appeal a Rejected SASSA SRD 350 Application?

If your SASSA SRD application has been rejected, you can file an appeal by following these steps:

• Go to the SASSA SRD website.
• Click on the “Click Here to Lodge an Appeal or Check the Appeal Status” button.
• Enter your ID number and mobile phone number.
• Click on the “Send Pin” button to receive an OTP pin from SASSA.
• Input the pin in the box provided.
• On your screen, select the appropriate option that corresponds to the reason for the rejection of your application, as stated in the letter sent by SASSA.
• Tap the “submit” button to submit your appeal for reconsideration.
• SASSA will verify your appeal within 7 days.
• After 7 days, you can check the status of your reconsideration through the SASSA website, SASSA Whatsapp number, or the Moya app.