New hope for those denied relief grant

The South African Social Security Agency was reviewing Covid-19 declined grant applications due to the high number of declined applicants captured.

Sassa was paying out R350 grants to those who were unemployed and those who had no form of income since the pandemic. The grant was also available to poor people who were negatively affected by the lockdown.

These groups were expected to apply for the grant, which was paid out from the month of May. According to Sassa CEO Totsie Memela, 85% of the applicants did not meet the criteria because the database showed they qualified or were receiving from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).

Memela said Sassa requested an update to their database to review the declined applicants before referring them to the appeal process, which was a drawn-out process.

She said the applicants would receive information about this development and would be required to provide their banking details.

“Updating the UIF database has brought such a relief to us and the affected beneficiaries, the numbers will rise daily until we have paid all deserving individuals who were declined,” Memela said.

Sassa is working with the department of social development to finalise the modalities of the appeals process for applicants who still feel their applications were rejected unfairly.

“The appeals function will be  added to the Sassa’s website as soon as the relevant framework has been approved,” Memela said.

Memela said more than 2.5 million applicants have already been paid. Farhana Siddiqui, who is a single mom living in Johannesburg, said she qualified for the grant and received her first payment in May. She said she is unsure if she would continue to receive the grant because of the new database – and that worries her.

“I have been unemployed for the past three years.

“I have two kids and it has been very difficult to provide for them during this time,” Siddiqui said.

“I checked my status for June. It said approved payment on the 26th but I never received any money. I have reached out to Sassa but the process of receiving feedback is slow from their side.

“The rechecking of applications is a waste of time and money,” Siddiqui said.

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