SRD SASSA Threshold To Change From R350 To R624

(SASSA) is expected to pay the R350 grant to more people after the Department of Social Development (DSD) announced a change to the income threshold of R624.

After the DSD announced the increased R350 grant income threshold, it is expected that more people will benefit from the grant. This is on the condition that they meet all the qualifying criteria.

The New SASSA R350 Grant Requirements 

To qualify for the R350 grant a person must have the following

• Be a South African citizen, permanent resident, refugee, a holder of a special permit under the Special Angolan Dispensation, the Lesotho Exemption Permit Dispensation; Zimbabwe Exemption Permit Dispensation; or an Asylum seeker with a valid section 22 permit or visa
• Be between the ages of 18 and 59 years old
• Be residing within the borders of South Africa
• Be registered on the Home Affairs database or Sassa’s social grant database for individuals without ID documents.
• Not be living in a government Institution or subsidised institution
• Not have an income of more than R624
• Not be receiving covid-19 social Relief of Distress
• Not be receiving Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) Benefits or National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) support or any other social grants distributed by Sassa

When the National State of Disaster was lifted, the R350 grant could not be distributed under the disaster management act. The grant was then provided under the Social Assistance Act.

When this change in legislation occurred, the income threshold was lowered from R595 to R350. This change meant that almost half the 10.9 million people who previously benefited from the grant, no longer qualified to receive the relief.

R350 Grant After Minister’s Proposal

Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu, recently gazetted a proposal that could result in more people receiving the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant. If the proposal is implemented, the income threshold for the R350 would change.

The proposal would see the income threshold to qualify for the grant moved from R350 to R624. This would mean that people would be allowed to earn up to R624 or have that amount of money in their bank account and still qualify for the grant. This amount is also the food poverty line in the country.

The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) was criticised after they announced  the SRD grant income threshold was lowered to R350 in April 2022.

SASSA SRD R350 Status Check And Updates

This resulted in less people qualifying for the grant. Previously, the income threshold of the grant was R585 which allowed caregivers to also benefit from the crucial relief.

Sassa has reminded clients whose R350 grant applications were rejected that the agency no longer deals with R350 grant appeals. Appeals are now handled by the Independent Tribunal for Social Assistance Appeals (ITSAA).

Unsuccessful R350 grant applicants have just 90 days to submit an appeal for the months when their applications were rejected.

Click Here To Learn How To Submit A New R350 Grant Appeal.