People with face masks seen at a South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) building in Cape Town South Africa on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. Picture: Gallo Images/Nardus Engelbrecht
The Department of Social Development confirmed the payment dates for the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) grants for the month of November 2021.
Sassa confirmed, “there is no need to rush to withdraw cash on the first day”.
“Once the money is in the account, it will remain there until it is needed,” the agency said.
Any incidents of fraud should be reported to police, or directly to Sassa on 0800-601-011.
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The decision to reinstate the monthly support grant comes after deadly civil unrest rocked parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in July.
The R350 provision will continue to be paid out until the end of March 2022 and has been extended to eligible unemployed caregivers who currently receive a child support grant as well.
Payments can be collected from the South African Post Office (Sapo) from Monday.
The Department of Social Development has released a report that looked into the Special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) R350 grant.
President Cyril Ramaphosa first announced the special grant in April 2020 as part of the government’s R500 billion stimulus package, after Covid-19 hits the shores of South Africa.
The SRD grant was introduced and aimed at those aged between 18 and 59 years without any source of income support and those facing undue hardships due to unemployment during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Sassa said it has upgraded its IT system to assist in identifying fraudsters who illegally claim the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant.
Speaking to eNCA earlier this month, Sassa spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi said it was important to curb the rise in Sassa crime. He said criminals will be arrested.
Letsatsi said the new IT system as implemented currently is “very tied up” because most beneficiaries who should get the grant, do get the grant.
“I think if we follow up on that, those who are in the wrong will get arrested because the intention here is to make sure we do not necessarily give people who don’t deserve this amount of money”, he said.
Compiled by Cheryl Kahla.
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