Social grants are set to increase on 1 April 2023. Image: Sassa.
Social grants are set to increase on 1 April 2023. Image: Sassa.
SASSA’s attempts to explain their situation with the R350 grant for ‘Relief of Distress’ has garnered little-to-no sympathy on Tuesday, after they were subject to an online pile-on from those waiting to receive their money.
When does SASSA pay recipients in June 2020?
Amid the chaos, SASSA did reveal the payment schedule for their other grants in June. It’s important that these dates don’t get lost in the noise, and the department have urged citizens to collect their payments responsibly:
- Older person’s grants, disability grants, and child grants will be paid on Wednesday 3 June and Thursday 4 June.
- All other grants will be paid out on Friday 5 June.
- SASSA has stressed that recipients “don’t need to rush” to collect money on the first available date. Once it is paid into your account, it stays there.
When will the R350 grant be paid out?
However, it was incredibly naive of SASSA to think they could Tweet about social grants without addressing the burning issue of the moment: Their account was flooded with queries about the newly-introduced R350 Relief of Distress grant, which almost five million people have applied for.
The monthly stipend, which has been offered in the wake of this coronavirus crisis, was meant to be rolled out on 15 May. However, SASSA’s CEO admitted over the weekend that only 10 (yes, ten) applicants had received their grants as part of a trial run. Many social media users say they’ve still not received the R350.
When are people receiving those R350 jobless grant?
— D'banj (@K_BENJANI) May 26, 2020
You not saying anything about the R350 unemployment grant's payment date ? pic.twitter.com/GLLz1lElak
— Nomhle (@nsambocca) May 26, 2020
On behalf of Katlehong no one received the R350
— Likhona Sukume (@likhona_sukume) May 26, 2020
SASSA ask complainants for ‘more time’ over R350 grant
A somewhat overwhelmed representative for SASSA Tweeted a generic statement referring to the R350 grant fiasco, claiming that these payments will eventually go through ‘at some point this month’. That got a similar reception to their previous post, but the department is vehemently sticking to their message:
“Payments were made from 15 May, meaning not all payments will go through today but certainly this month. If you have gone through the application process, please wait for a response from SASSA. It takes a bit of time but you will be contacted. We will revert back to you whether your application is successful or not.”
SASSA
