Verification for R370 SRD grant can take months

New applicants and existing beneficiaries of the Social Relief of Distress grant are battling to access their money

New applicants and existing beneficiaries of the R370 per month Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant have been battling to access their money for months due to issues with the South African Social Security Agency’s (Sassa's) verification procedure.

At the end of October, advocacy groups plan to challenge the rules around the R370 grant in the Pretoria high court.

The SRD system has been riddled with issues. Also, two first-year Stellenbosch University students discovered that their ID numbers had been used fraudulently to apply for the SRD grants. They first revealed this to the HeartFM radio news team earlier in October.

Since earlier this year, beneficiaries wanting to change their mobile numbers must undergo a biometric ID verification. This also applies to beneficiaries suspected of committing fraud or of being the victim of identity theft. They are notified through their online profiles. The notification informs them that once beneficiaries select the “request identity verification” option, Sassa will send instructions on how to proceed.

Often, these requests are done within 24 hours but “may take up to two days for the message to be sent”. On receiving the SMS, beneficiaries have three days to complete the verification process, this includes taking a clear photo of their face.

Sassa spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi said: “When beneficiaries have a smart card ID, the likelihood of the verification being successful is much higher than when they only have a green ID book.”

This is because of the poor quality of photos in the green ID books kept on the home affairs department’s databases.

However, many beneficiaries with smart card IDs are still not receiving the verification link and there has been no explanation for this.

[The message from Sassa] said I needed to wait three days to get the link. But I’ve been waiting since June.Thandile Wonci, SRD grant recipient

Since applying for the grant on June 28, 18-year-old Nyakello Mahlaba from Vanderbijlpark in Gauteng has yet to receive his verification link. “I kept requesting the SMS with the verification link,” he said.

Weeks later, Mahlaba phoned Sassa’s toll-free hotline. “They told me their system had been struggling and that they were working on fixing it. But it doesn’t seem like it’s been resolved yet.”

As a part-time business management student at the University of Johannesburg, Mahlaba applied for the R370 grant to help cover his weekly travelling costs of up to R180.

Mahlaba lives at home with his mother and older brother, both of whom also rely on the R370 grant. “My mother applied long ago, so she’s never had to request an identity verification. My brother also hasn’t struggled to get the grant,” he said.

Thandile Wonci, 26, from Makhanda in the Eastern Cape has received the grant since March. Wonci said she mainly used the R370 to buy food and toiletries.

“I was on the SRD system, and it said that I needed to verify my identity. I clicked on the link, and it said I needed to wait three days to get the link. But I’ve been waiting since June,” she said.

Sassa was exploring options to resend links automatically or introduce a self-service portal for beneficiaries to request links.

Letsatsi advised those struggling to retrieve their verification link to call Sassa toll-free on
080-060-1011.

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