Watch out for R350 grant scams! Here’s how to check your application status

The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has warned beneficiaries and job seekers against falling victim to online scams.

This follows a variety of unauthorised websites posing as the agency and promising jobs.

“Sassa warns the public against the below fake information which does not come from Sassa . All Sassa vacancies are advertised on national newspapers or the agency’s website,” the agency said in a social media post.

Furthermore, Sassa also cautioned R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant recipients against checking their grant statuses on bogus digital platforms, as this poses a risk to their personal information.

“It is essential to note that there is only one official website in which beneficiaries can safely check their unemployment grant to avoid potential scams.

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Sassa SRD status check

According to the agency, approximately 10 million South Africans send applications for the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant monthly. To qualify, applicants must be South African citizens not receiving other government support in the form of UIF benefits or NSFAS bursaries.

“The Social Relief of Distress Grant (SRD Grant) is meant for South African Citizens, Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Special Permit Holders who are between the ages of 18 and 60 years, who have insufficient means, who do not receive social grants on behalf of herself/ himself or who are not contributing to or eligible for UIF payment, and have no financial support from any other source.”

Sassa provides a crucial financial lifeline to millions of unemployed adults through the SRD, worth R370 monthly.

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What platform to use

To ensure eligibility, Sassa conducts rigorous verification checks each month. Once complete, recipients can check their approval status on the official websitewebsite using their ID and cellphone numbers.

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Here is a step-by-step guide to checking your grant status:

1. First, visit the SASSA SRD status website to find the SRD status check section.
2. Follow the prompts to provide your ID number, along with the cell phone number provided upon submitting the grant application.
3. At this point, the recipient can check the progress of their grant by doing a Sassa status check.
4. An additional security measure may be added by Sassa in the form of a status pin. To access final results, recipient must enter the number reported in the Sassa status pin.

“Recipients must be aware that Sassa will only contact them through the contact number provided during the grant application. Furthermore, applicants whose SRD grants have been declined are given the opportunity to appeal the decision,” the agency added.

There is no closing date for the SRD grant applications.

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