South African Social Security Agency
Social Relief of Distress (SRD)
At a glance
Who qualifies
- South African citizen, permanent resident, or recognised refugee
- Aged 18 to 59
- Unemployed and not receiving another SASSA grant, UIF, or NSFAS funding
- Income under R624 per month for the review period
- Living in South Africa
- Registered on the SRD portal with a valid ID and cellphone number
Who does not qualify
- Under 18 or 60 and older
- Receiving another SASSA grant, UIF payout, or NSFAS allowance
- Any income above R624 in the review month (including gifts, loans, family transfers)
- Not registered on Home Affairs as a citizen or permanent resident
- In a state institution
Documents you bring
- Valid 13-digit South African ID number
- Active cellphone number registered in your name
- Personal bank account in your name (or Postbank / mobile money for unbanked)
- Consent to SASSA verifying you against Home Affairs, SARS, UIF, and bank records
No paper documents are submitted. The SRD is 100% online and SASSA verifies your details directly against the government databases. Never give your ID or banking details to third parties offering to 'apply for you'.
How to apply
- Open the SRD portal at srd.sassa.gov.za or use the SASSA WhatsApp line 082 046 8553.
- Enter your 13-digit ID and cellphone number. You will receive an OTP by SMS.
- Consent to SASSA verifying you against Home Affairs, SARS, UIF, and NSFAS databases.
- Enter your personal banking details (bank name, account number, branch code).
- Submit. Your status shows Pending while SASSA runs the checks.
- Approved months trigger a payment. Declined months can be appealed within 90 days.
- Every month you must recheck your status. Approval is per month, not permanent.
The SRD is reviewed month-by-month. An approval this month does not carry over. If your bank account shows income above R624 in any month, that month is declined even if previous months were approved.
The R624 threshold catches a lot of family transfers
SASSA reads bank inflows, not just wages. Rent paid on your behalf, groceries sent via EFT, a cash-send from a working sibling, or a family stokvel payout can all push you over R624 for that month and trigger a decline, even if your "income" is zero. Route family support through cash or grocery vouchers where possible during months you want approval.