SASSA beneficiaries who use the Postbank white and gold cards have been advised to use the cashback option. Photo: File
SASSA SRD: Unemployed caregivers without ID books now eligible for R350 grant
Unemployed caregivers without an SA ID are now eligible for the R350 SASSA grant. Applicants must use the ‘7777’ they were assigned by SASSA to apply.
SASSA beneficiaries who use the Postbank white and gold cards have been advised to use the cashback option. Photo: File
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) said unemployed caregivers that receive child grants from the government despite not having a 13-digit bar coded South African identity document are now eligible for the Special COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant.
SASSA TO ASSIST UNEMPLOYED CAREGIVERS
The agency said the undocumented individuals that now qualify for the SRD grant are beneficiaries that do not have South African identification but receive social grants, including permanent residents, asylum seekers and refugees among others.
“Some of these beneficiaries draw child grants like the Child Support, Care Dependency and Foster Child grants and not necessarily social grants for themselves,” said SASSA in a statement on Wednesday, 22 September.
SASSA CEO Busisiwe Memela-Khambula said it would not have made sense to exclude these individuals from receiving the COVID-19 grant if there is every indication of the fact that they are unemployed and have no other streams of income.
“As government, we have to do everything possible to ensure that we uphold the principles of our sought after Constitution and do everything possible to cushion those in distress during their hour of need,” said Memela-Khambula.
SASSA beneficiaries that receive social grants despite not having an ID were allocated a system-generated 7777 identification number by the agency that enables them to access social services.
To apply for the SRD grant, unemployed holders of the 7777 identity numbers – that receive child grants – must use the number, which starts with 7777 – the same number they were allocated when they were first approved for a social grant.
Caregivers that do not have the above-mentioned identification number are urged to get in touch with SASSA via their toll-free number at 0800-60-10-11 to request the 7777 number. Once they have received the number, they can apply for the SRD grant via the SASSA website: srd.sassa.gov.za
If successful, the SASSA SRD grant will be paid together with other social grants via the gold SASSA grant payment card.
READ: SASSA FAQs: Here is everything you need to know about grants
