Why October’s SRD R370 Grant Payments Are Delayed for Approved Recipients

Thousands of people had their Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant applications approved in October 2024. But weeks again past the little expected paying day, many beneficiaries are yet to handle their R370 grant installments. Families were already having to struggle to keep their basic needs met, and the delays have put them under considerable financial strain. SASSA has admitted the delay but offered few details on when the payments would be disbursed.

The SRD grant program was developed as a temporary but beneficial measure to assist unemployed and vulnerable people during times of economic difficulty. The recent delay is a critical issue because beneficiaries live off these payments that are needed to meet everyday living expenses. We look below at the reasons behind the delay and the effect it has had on the recipients.

Payment Delays and SASSA’s Response

SASSA spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi confirmed that extra checks are being made on SASSA’s accounts because there has been an increase in fraud and online crime. Unfortunately, these checks are causing legitimate beneficiaries to suffer numerous payment delays. Rescheduling of payments for beneficiaries who pass the review process will take place in the next payment cycle, but to date no clear date has been given, said Letsatsi.

SASSA said that because beneficiaries were ‘removed from the existing payment run’ as part of this verification process, although they were approved in October, they have not been paid yet. But this justification has caused many individuals in dire financial need to learn that they will be paid soon, and often, when no one has made an effort to prove that point.

Impact on Beneficiaries

Household Struggles

Many families are in a financially precarious position because payments have been delayed. Her household depends on social grants to get by, said Monique Mtembu from Eldorado Park, Johannesburg. When her application was approved, she was still waiting for her payment, which has cost her not only financially, but it’s also prevented her from supporting her children.

The Need for Verification

Mtembu and Alvina Swartz, two previous beneficiaries, have themselves faced problems with identity verification. Both had been suspended in their SRD grants earlier in the year ’til they finished additional verification procedures. Such issues disappear, but without any reason or date, they get delayed again, this time without any clear reason or time for their resolution.

SASSA’s Additional Verification Checks

An increase in fraudulent activities has led SASSA to implement extra checks. Preventing fraud is a major priority, but these additional layers of security are actually unreasonably making it hard for good people.

Below is a summary of key aspects of the verification process and the possible reasons for delays:

Verification Step	Explanation
Identity Verification	Confirming that the identity of the applicant matches the records held by SASSA.
Fraud Investigation	SASSA is investigating potential fraudulent activity and may block accounts.
Payment Run Adjustments	Payment schedules are modified based on verification results.

Beneficiary Frustrations

Beneficiaries who’ve already gone through the process of vetting are understandably fed up with these delays. Also from Eldorado Park, Alvina Swartz said her October payment, meant to be withdrawn on October 26, did not appear when the date came and went without cash arriving. Her pay date is gone now, but her status remains as approved. The SRD grant has been helping her buy basic groceries for her family.

Similarly, SASSA’s failure to progress has exasperated Elizabeth Raiters, the deputy director of the #PayTheGrants campaign. But she said pay dates are still being removed, even after identity verification for affected beneficiaries. Raiters says it’s been a daily struggle to get pay dates reinstated, but all they get is empty promises from SASSA.

Calls for Improvement

PayTheGrants and affected people are pushing for immediate change to avoid such delays in the future. Here are some suggested improvements:

• Transparent Timeline for Payment: Once approvals are made, the SASSA should have clear timelines regarding the disbursement of payments to help the beneficiaries manage their expectations.
• Streamlined Verification Procedures: It would also speed up payments by reducing the number of repetitive verification checks on people who have already gone through the process.
• Improved Communication: To keep beneficiaries informed about the status of their payments and why they have been delayed, SASSA should improve communication.

The South Africa bailout grant is to provide short-term help from which South Africa’s most vulnerable citizens can benefit. But the delay in payment is becoming a source of further pain for beneficiaries who live on this grant. While it has to be accepted that there is a need for fraud prevention, SASSA must be careful not to err on the side of stringent verification at the cost of timely payment to those honestly in need. Better communication and more explicit deadlines can dramatically reduce the conflicting frustration and monetary pressures that beneficiaries are presently facing.

SASSA must move swiftly to deal with these issues, as this will help restore confidence in the system and if SRD grants are to achieve their purpose of offering the much-needed support during hard times.

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