Staff Reporter
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has revealed that 5 million applications of the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant have been declined.
Many applicants were hopeful they would get the R350 SRD grant as it was previously reported that payments would resume on 22 June, however many were met with shock when their applications were declined.
On Friday, SASSA Grants Operations Executive Manager, Brenton Van Vrede revealed that of the 10.9 million applications received for the R350 SRD grant, 5 million have been approved while the other 5 million has been declined.
When new regulations were gazetted after the National State of Disaster which facilitated the R350 SRD grant ended in April this year, a number of civil society organisations voiced out their concerns about the tight criteria now used to identify who deserves the R350 SRD grant.
Under the National State of Disaster, the income threshold for one to be eligible for the R350 SRD grant was R595 and has been reduced to R350 under the new regulations.
