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Frustrated R350 relief grant applicants disappointed with Sassa’s slow services

By: TimesLIVE

Date:

 

Sassa has paid the R350 grant to only 116,867 people    Image: South African Gov‏ via Twitter

Frustrated South Africans have once again expressed disappointment with the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) after still not having received their R350 Covid-19 relief grant payments for May.

The R350 grant is meant for unemployed citizens and qualifying foreign citizens during the lockdown. It was announced in April by President Cyril Ramaphosa and qualifying applicants were told that they would be paid by the end of the month.

However, not all payments were made.

“Payments were made from May 15, 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 to you whether your application is successful or not,” Sassa said on May 26.

On Tuesday, Sassa announced that just over 116,000 applicants have been paid the grant so far.

Sassa CEO Busisiwe Memela said the agency received 13-million enquiries and applications as of Monday, May 25.

According to Memela, just over 6-million of the applications received were valid, complete applications. Others were duplicates, incomplete, or had inconsistent data.

“About 1,236 492 applications are still being finalised through verification by the SA Revenue Service (Sars) to confirm if the applicants have an income.

“A total of 666 381 clients were approved and Sassa is awaiting their banking details, while more than 1,597,127 are disapproved as the applicants have some means of income,” she said in a statement.

Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, frustrated and impatient applicants slammed the agency for its slow services and demanded answers  for late payments.

In response, the agency said there was no fixed date for the grant.

“There is no fixed date for the Covid-19 special grant, the applicant will be paid for each month as long as they still meet the qualification criteria.

“Each month the application will be verified to ensure that the applicant still qualifies for that particular month.”

By Unathi Nkanjeni- TimesLIVE

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150 COMMENTS

  2. I am very much disappointed, the president said the money was for the unemployed South Africans, I’m not working and not getting any income, I have applied for the relief fun, I was disqualified and those who qualify majority were not paid, Ramaphosa cannot be paying the people by himself or responsible for this, he trusted you Minister and Ceo, but it look like you want to benefit from this; Your poor record of delivery says it all, Rasebua from Tembisa.

  3. Thet dont even ask for banking detais so how the hell must we get our grant so and even if you try and phone them its always busy . . What the hell are we sepose to fo now

  6. The 350 cov 19 is not to see who qualify but the minister want to deny more people so she can look good for saving so much m9ney evwry time you will hear we saved so much but never we paid so much come right this is for tje poor madam you sit in your hot house and eat every night stop your nonsens

  8. Did the president know that we still wait for the R350 I was helping 3people but only 1 was approved through my pH no

  9. SASSA is playing games with peoples lives, they want to steal this money they are very corrupt. I applied during the first test but till now no response. People are still not getting paid for each outstanding money due to applicants. This Memela must be demoted.

  10. At home we don’t have food since 12 may I applied for social distress money but even today status says pending how are we going to survive

  11. I have received sms asking me to go to the link to complete my banque details I m trying to open the link is not opening the saying my ID is not valide, I want to know why is not valide is the Same 🆔 that was accepted in the application

    • In that block of mobile enter yor cell number then press send is gonna ask you the pin, the pin is OTP numbers they send to the mobile number you fill in that block , after that OTP you will go through the form then after you fill all that form you received the ID APPLICATION number so keep those numbers as the reference

      • Sassa never replied to my application it’s been 2months ND still nothing. It keeps on asking me for a one time otp pin but I don’t have one.
        How can I retrieve my pin because not my ID or cell number works

  12. Can I please ask, my mother has been approved and the money was paid on the 30th of May at 12:12:43 but she haven’t yet received any SMS or Call from Sassa to submit her bank details…and is it because of a slow system or what?

  13. Who are the people that received the grant payments. I haven’t even received a response from sassa yet. When I check the status it says not available. Sassa as well as the Uif is lying about payments made already.

  14. It’s already 3 weeks since i registered and approved but yet haven’t received anything from Sassa yet they told us that if we don’t have bank accounts the money will be paid via e-wallet, hence those who just just registered last week received their money. So i need to know are there even still of a e-wallet transfer or what.

  15. But my husband and son who have no income at all still have their applications pending. They have not been called or asked for any information. When one enquires they get told their application is pending.

  16. I am very disappointed for I and my son applied for the SRD of the Covid – 19 grant on the 2nd and 5th of May on the application was on news 24. We applied via email on the info that Lindiwe Zulu said u must do. So we did and we forward it again on the 11th of May. People received their grant on the 15th of May and I received a email from Sassa on the 3rd of June. The application that I filled in and send it but my son up till now never received anything. I would like to know are we still going to receive grant for May now and for June later. The President said that this special grant is only running until October 2020. We doint receive any other form of income that is why when the President announced this in April we were so glad. I thank you.

    • My R350 was paid out but I had not provided Sassa
      with my banking details Iwish to know who recieved the money

  18. I’m trying to fill the form but it says please match the requested format on the address line,what is the requested format and how to capture that please help

  20. Waiting from may I got approved last month n still nothing lost hope already coz every day is a different story with sassa .so idk I just hope it comes soon #hanging in there

  21. It is very disappointing that SASSA is management is incompetent as they have left many people who not having any source of income without giving them the reason why they are being failed to receive this distress relief fund. I hope the Minister of Social development sees this comment and act accordingly as this is not fair to some citizens.

    • My brother applied on the12th of may and approved on the 24th of may.he sent bank details onthe 25 may .money dololo still waiting

  24. This Sassa people is just lying, they are probably going to steal all this money, me andy husbamd has applied on all platforms, when i query tjey just say pending when i phone in they say they cant get our information, they are lying and the government is protectong their lies, they probably will give few people just to show that they have paid then they will defnitely steal the rest of the money, its already June and we havent been answered or paid anything, then people like Bheki Cele wonders why people becomes criminals

  26. My application has been pending since I applied on May 13. My son who has been approved and who has managed to submit bank details successfully has yet to receive payment. To tell you the truth I don’t think that a single person has received his/her grant. In fact i don’t think it even exists. Its just another ruse perpetuated by the ANC to make it appear as if they care. They don’t care. They are more worried about an African American boy who was killed in the USA than they care about us South Africans. It was a tragedy to be sure but how is one person murdered in a foreign country more important than the millions suffering here at home. All the ANC does is lie about everything. It is all about lining their pockets and covering their asses.

  27. How to check my status so can know because i have never heard any feed back i send them the my number and email

  28. I applyed for the money but i have never heard from sassa now its June why cant they open ofices so we can go
    Very frustrated

  29. I applied on behalf of someone by email, sent banking details and received a code which we were told was secret, up until now the person hasn’t received no money. Is there a way in which the government can further explain the way forward for the people. We have lost hope

  30. I applied and was approved and I checked my status online and they said I got paid on the 30th of May but I didn’t get an SMS stating that I Got paid why is that so.?

  32. Thank you SASSA I apply on the 20 May..my application was approved on the 29 May and i submitted my bank details..i did getting my 350 on the 7June..Thank you MR Ramaphosa

    • i did application on 11 may and i got an sms asking for banking details so i dont know how to send the banking details and my sms got deleted what must i do

  33. Applied for distress grant in may and still pending. I have been checking STATUS everyday, but still pending. Extremely poor service from sassa. It is sad that President Ramaphosa is not doing much for the people in distress. Extremely disappointing 😪😔😪

  34. I’m disappointed by what Sasa did because I applied on May and last week when I checked the status it said pending .and they did not come back and said that I qualify or not.what I’ve noticed is everyone who is in power is abusing vulnerable citizen to get whatever they want to achieve si far Sasa failed many African who are desperate

  35. I don’t know what is happening but I feel there is nothing going to happen so the people who need the grants will get it, some get double payments, some get none, while others just show pending for weeks, that is unfair as it is for everyone. Please is there a way to make it happen soon???

  36. There is no truth about all this we are yet to receive an indication whether we are approved or not i have done everything trying to follow up this departmentbis useless together with the ceo

  37. Did register en since we got sms asking for banking details till today we still waiting!!! That’s ur government for u especially if it has to do with sassa 👏 thy keep saying they paid out other ppl bt most ppl never got the R350… This government of ours always make promises en fail to deliver….

  38. I don’t understand the delay, we’ve been waiting for over a month and still no communication from Sassa, their landline is not even working

  39. I have applied on behalf of 5 people but Sassa only asked for banking details for only 2 people,even those 2 people are not yet paid the money.Im so disappointed with Sassa because its been almost a full month now without any response that what is caused the delay in payment.

  41. I applied for the R350 via WhatsApp on the 13 May. It is now the 10th of June and still it’s PENDING. It’s almost 2 month since I’ve applied. And in this 2 months they are unable to finalise it. So it seems I’ll just have to accept that the Pending status is as good as if it wasn’t approved!!!!!!

  42. IMy Daughter filled an application in May and when I go on the app for status it’s says failed ,I have no form of income and I have sent my banking details and for sassas info the money that comes into my account is my kids pay and that’s every week so if url think that’s mine url ate wrong as they don’t have their own banking accounts so they use mine so I only get 200 from them to live but if u people dont feel fit to pay me it’s cool we won’t die we have lived even before u people suggested to give us that Stress Relief grant so maybe url think that someone else needs it more give it with my pleasure

    • I apply for someone and checed status is been approved and pay day but not yet received any US SD secure link for banking details?

  44. My name is Lorraine Christine Penny ID 600628……phone number 0746195338. I applied in May and I see my status says pending….
    I am starving and i’m in need of some food please could you advise me what must I do still to get this money…..

  45. applied for my daughter when you check its says failed how does it fail as she is not working neither does she have child neither does she get bursary money but her application failed its frustrating cause my neighbour applied same day with her his one is approved but my child failed,but still no money

  46. I was approved but when I try to clock on the link I receive a response “No documents matching that” so I can’t add my bank details…really frustrated

  48. It is very disappointing to keep on waiting and hoping for nothing. since I applied when I check my status it keeps on saying pending, what does this mean. Mr president I think something must be done.

  49. Am applying for sassa unemployment relief Grant on end of April until now n approved but nothing happens on my phone bcs of ewallet

  50. I’m applying for unemployment relief Grant on end of April until now,nothing happened I got a message of approval, no money in my ewallet

    • When I checked the Sassa’s website it’s say R350 was paid out on the 13th but I’ve never received any message asking about my banking details how is that possible iwonder who received the payment with out me know ing

  52. I applied for like 29 ppl from my fone. From the 29 ppl, only 5 was asked to provide banking details. The rest is still left in the dark. This is the most bizzarre thing i ever came across coming from the government who offered to assist the less fortunate, but instead left us with a bigger hole jn the pocket instead

  53. Pending is no good when people are starving if my son didn’t live by me he would be dead by now of starvation what’s your excuse this time bloody do the job you are getting paid for or leave and give it to somebody that can do the work pathetic is even too nice relief from what life I guess

  57. Almost a month now I’ve applied for the 350 relief grant and I was approved yet even now I have received nothing from SASSA..this is so unfair because we are really in need of the money

  58. i for on the 12 of May 2020 via email , no feedback , early in June again i used the code applying thing , no feedback , again i checked the status using my cellphone number. no they gave me another form to fill yoooo you guys can be mean.

  62. goodday i have also been approved but still nothing has happen going for 2 months now. but the system has its own time.

  64. My daughter’s application was approved today but she doesn’t have a bank account can she receive her R350 grant on my account if I give you my banking details or on e-wallet please inform me thanks.

  67. Hi Sassa agent I applied on the 11 May I have not received a reply, how long should I wait?
    I used WhatsApp number I gave everything required and avoided to re-apply as per request from Sassa

  68. Hi. Can someone please tell me what does sassa say on the status check if they have declined you. Does pending means declined? 🤔

  69. Sassa is a waste of time people are suffering for food the 350 can help but they give us payment next year when we die what was the use the president gave us unemployed people hope for nothing should have rather not told us anything

  70. I have received both messages from sassa,given my banking details,but the people I helped because I have wifi and I registerd after myself got paid but im still waiting is sassa busy with a scam taking our money cause we help people from our phones and data. thats bloody bullshit i dont have food for 2 weeks now.

  72. Corruption is running through they veins sies stealing from the poor you have no shame Sassa is a joke i applied on the 11th of May but still pending till today fuck you sassa with your 350 i dont want it anymore

  73. SASSA R350 grant relieve must be seriously investigated.All applicaters must demand a propper investigation.This entity may be highly corrupt or not skilled to serve. To much unreliable feedback or update news to all citizens of need.Poor people with no income what so ever will die of hunger circumstances.Citizens must opt for law sue.

  74. Please explain to us what is really happening or atleast give us a feed back I did register and my application was approved from may and I have sent my bank details even now still waiting.

  76. I applied via WhatsApp and my status sais approved and if I check my progress it’s sais I’m paid but I didn’t received any message requesting my bank details . what gone wrong?

  77. Today i received sms saying i am being declined because i receive an income from one of their sources and i dont get any income from anyone,is there anyone who knows were to go when situation its like this?

  78. Pending !!!! Going for 2 months !!!! When will I know if I’m approved ???? I don’t have a job and I don’t get any income. No money, no food, no feedback from sassa 😭😭

  79. I’m having a problem because I’m not receiving any grant or any money somewhere I’m also not working but they declined my application saying there’s is money I’m receiving really it’s really bad.bDesmond Mbuso Mbatha

  82. When you sincerely don’t have an income, how then is your application declined with the reason being, I quote :you currently have income from other source.

  83. My niece was approved and has sent his bank account number but till today nothing… His name is Pheello Sefali. As I check the status it says payday 8. But nothing

  86. I am Mcdonald Nsibande I’ved applied for the grant in May 02 but till today my application still pendind. I am furious with SASSA for lying to Mzansi the next thing our applicatons will be declined and the money chowed by officials

  91. Lloyd
    I applied using ewallet as my Acc and I can’t upload my banking details again what should I do, must I be patient for payment date or what? people that applied after me using their bank Acc hav
    already received their pay date

  92. I applied on behalf of two applicant’s in May was asked for bank account but applicant’s don’t have one what should be done now please advise has we are in June already.

  93. I was approved long time ago ineven sent my details and everything was successful but i don’t seem to be receiving my social relief payment

  94. In may I applied for covid19 grant,yes today I did receive my R350.00 it said for June and I want to know where is my R350.00 for may,if I remembered correctly Mrs memela made an announcement at ukhozi fm,and she said if you made an application in may and you received the payment in June it will be doubled so don’t play games with us don’t spoil the effort of Mr president Mrs memela ,keep your promises !!!!

  97. I received my sms stating my application has been approved and they did send a link to submit my bank details but everytime i try to send the banking details it fails. please help in these regard cause the 086010111 number is always busy

  98. i have applied for my uncle and he has been approved but yet no money was paid out to him his stiil awaiting this 350 which is very much needed in his household

  100. My son’s Donnell Khan application has been approved, but when he tries to submit banking information as requested, it keeps saying failed on link he was sent. How can he submit understanding information.

  102. I’m USha singh applied for me r350 grant n was decline on may , I’m a widow mum I never work for the pass 5 yr opt no 006212/0848500203,, I’m on meds n have no food to eat

  103. Just hope their consciousness plays a role when they do their jobs and I pray that the Lord assist them coz others need this 350 for food. I’m ashamed of our people and we are still going to be a laughing stock to other races and nations. We still have a long way to go coz we are not even closer to half way yet

  104. I have applied for covid 19 grants..I applied on may but didn’t receive any sms or massage..I want to know why because I don’t work. Me and my family we don’t have any food.pls don’t make us fool..we want the money we can buy food…..

  106. I’m also applying for relief unemployment grant sassa on June even now no reply, how can I check dat I’m approved or not

  108. Hi my name precious i applied rd grant last month and on Saturday they send me and SMS saying my name does not match so I do not understand why are they saying it does not match because is the one from my id, so I want to ask from you guys how do I fix the spelling of my name if possible coz I really need this money

  109. I’m tired of hearing fellow South Africans every time bt there’s no care for the unemployed,I’ve applied in every format that we were told to follow bt not even a blue tick sign on whatspp shows a certain response on my applications since May bt people who applied before me are now finished their grants,So even you don’t consider me as a voted citizen I don’t care me and my friends decided not to vote again cos ain’t no vote voice for me all this was just a matter of how they will splits our money despite of important it wld help the poorer,So they must take their money and keep it we survive before without it so even now we will bt u comrades of Ramaphosa must fall cos u failed to deliver the service we needed in time

  111. I was approved for R350 grant on May 26 and was asked for my banking details which I send. And still today the 1 of July I still have not any money. I tried to find out why but got nowhere. This is so disappointing.

  112. I applied for my mother in May was asked for banking details which she submitted ,its now July she hasn’t received anything.

  113. I got approved bt i have naver gt paid is been approved two months now…. n i wanna change my application cell phone number….

  114. Ishmael Malaza

    Id:910797 have applied for the temporary unemployment covid 19 grant in may.It was approved in June 23 and was promised to receive my grant at capitec on the 25th but still not received.When will I get my grant money?Banking detailes submitted on 23 June 2020.Waiting for your response.

  115. If SASSA is taking this long just to verify and pay applicants on time, how exactly will be capable of verifying millions each month? I don’t recall the president saying anything about having to keep qualifying month after month for the duration of the 6 months.
    It’s simple not possible with the current method they using. they don’t know how to automate the system properly. they need more qualified and experience and talented software developers, web developers, etc.
    Not to mentioned the 500 internal server error people get when trying to verify their banking details.

  116. Big scam ! I applied may month..they declined me now they approve me and say theres no back pay ..I just believe the decline was done on purpose so they can pocket the rest of the money ..I been unemployed for 5 years why did the decline in first place ..wke up SA people is benefiting from this money but definitely not the ones who’s entitled to it …

  118. I applied for the half of someone and they sent me approval massage and I submitted banking detail’s on 20 June even today I didn’t get paid.so how long will take this process to be completed?

  119. applied 13th May then checked status 2nd June an showed declined 3rd June recieved sms it’s approved with link opened link filled in details don’t have bank account an yet they still ask which bank u prefer an u hav to choose one or else u cannot submit so I choose any bank not forgetting I chose ” NO” bank account ,and immediately recieved another sms saying bank details has been updated successfully …. So what the fudge..

  120. My application is approved on the 8th of June and also submitted my bank deatails but till today ididnt get my money…I wanna know why?

  121. I was approved on 27th May got first payment. No payment for June or July. Try to call the call center but no luck. Send multiple emails no reaction. Can Sassa please provide a answer as to what is happening .

  122. I think Sassa or should I say the Government is playing with our emotions. Around last year, I was declined for disability grant, right now I’m still waiting for Sassa to approve my unemployment grant. Still I’ve been waiting for 2 months. They never get in touch with us via Email or smses. Not to mention the whatsapp line. Guys please you got our hopes high and promise us the payments. Please do what you promised. We need to buy food for ourselves.

  123. Zinhle

    I applied using my mom’s cellphone. When checking my status, my application was declined
    because of not corresponding details.
    Was the owner of the cellphone reflecting such that my particulars could not correspond with my application??

    How can l be assisted?

  125. Good Morning, I have applied for my mother in June 2020 and the application still shows pending for June 2020 till now. kindly assist?

  126. I’m very disappointed about srd application was declined but I’m not working since I completed my matric please saasa explain.

  127. NO RESPONSE TO R350 SASSA GRANT APPLICATION EVEN TRYING TO CALL THEY DONT ANSWER IF I CHECK MY SASSA STATUS IS LIKE U GIVING THEM WRONG INFORMATION ABOUT YOURSELF IAM STILL WAITING

  128. I’d too also applied for Sassa since June still now I didn’t get a message of approval so when I check status online it says decline I also need this money like others

  129. I m very angry to those who worker at sassa they declined due to alternative income from where they did give m a work I know you want to steal our money I m not working since 2012 til now Cyril thief’s a deny ours that 350 I got it first three months now they say I have alternative income from where

  130. First payment received at post office, 2nd and 3rd received together last month at standard bank cardless… yesterday i wake up to a sms saying you did not collect 350 payment and it was reverted back, yet no sms from the bank saying money available and i called the bank and was told last payment made to my number was last month, nothing this month

  131. I am also dissapointed…I applied for this SRD grand months ago…I only got paid The first R350 then after that till now I haven’t received any money its been 3 Months now since I go check for it at the post office….they always tell me there’s no money deposited yet

    Am not even sure ukuba ngisezoyi thola lemali… Am sure njee bazi dlela yona…

    But mna I want my money… My President gave me that money, so pay my money wena SASSA stop being greedy with my money.

  133. SASSA this is really frustrating I applied for my two boys but only one application was approved.
    I use to check everyday if his moola was paid but dololo nothing. I told my boys that they must just forget about this money cause they wont get it. It keeps on saying approved but no money in the bank.

  134. I’ve applied on the 5th May till 2 no money my status say uif register how can I apply 4 uif not working for 9yrs they are playing game with us siyalamba president Leto 350 was going 2 do something

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