Sassa New Requirement For SRD Grant Payments: Millions of vulnerable people surviving in South Africa are presently profiting from the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant. The agency’s trust for paying the grant will be needful under a new verification check to ensure they keep receiving their SRD Grant payments.
The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has announced that some Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant beneficiaries will be required to undergo biometric identity verification. This forms part of the effort to ensure the relief of distress grant is paid to individuals who meet the eligibility criteria for the SRD grant.
Sassa New Requirement For SRD Grant Payments
The SRD grant was introduced to provide some financial assistance to unemployed people living in South Africa. Around 7 million people are currently benefiting from the SRD grant.
How Do I Apply for The SRD Grant
Sassa revealed that some beneficiaries of the grant will be required to complete Biometric Identity Verification. This is being done by Sassa to detect and stop dishonest people from wrongly benefitting from the grant.
What Is Biometric Identity Verification For The SRD Grant?
Biometric Identity Verification is done to confirm who you are based on your unique physical traits. This could be done by using a person’s fingerprints, face, or voice.
Verification occurs when your biometric data is collected and compared to a record of your biometric traits.
What Will Sassa Use For Biometric Identity Verification?
Sassa will use facial recognition to verify the identity of SRD grant beneficiaries. Beneficiaries may need to have a working camera on their mobile phone to complete the facial recognition process.
Which SRD Grant Beneficiaries Will Be Required To Complete Facial Recognition?
The biometric identity verification process will be mandatory for certain individuals.
Firstly, it applies to clients who received a referred SRD status. This is to ensure their identities are accurately verified.
Additionally, SRD beneficiaries who want to update their mobile numbers will also need to undergo the biometric verification process.
The biometric identity verification requirement extends to SRD grant beneficiaries who have selected the Postbank account option to be opened on their behalf. By undergoing the biometric verification process, their identities can be confirmed, safeguarding against potential fraudulent activities.
Clients requesting to be paid through the cash-send method will also need to undergo the same verification process to ensure the secure and legitimate transfer of funds.
Clients who require any of these services listed below will be required to undergo identity verification through facial recognition
Biometric Identity Verification helps to maintain the security and accuracy of a grant beneficiary’s personal information.
What Is A Referred SRD Grant Status?
A referred SRD grant status is given when your application was randomly selected for internal verification and quality assurance. It may also indicate that the cell phone number used for the SRD grant application was flagged by the South African Fraud Prevention Services (SAFPS).
SRD grant applicants with a referred SRD grant status must contact the SAFPS to clear this issue and can’t submit an SRD grant appeal. Once the issue has been cleared, SRD grant applicants must send an email to Sassa with proof they have cleared the challenge.
Beneficiaries will then undergo the facial recognition process.
Why Do SRD Grant Beneficiaries Change Their Mobile Number
To apply for the SRD grant, applicants must have a valid mobile number. If the mobile number captured on the SRD grant application website is not valid, the grant beneficiary will not receive messages from Sassa informing them that their SRD grant is available for collection.
Several circumstances can lead to an SRD grant beneficiary changing their mobile phone number. SRD grant beneficiaries must update their mobile phone number on the SRD grant website to prevent issues with their grant payments.
More Information On Sassa’s Biometric Identity Verification
SRD grant beneficiaries that are required to complete the biometric identity verification will receive two SMSs from Sassa. The second SMS from Sassa will contain a link that beneficiaries must click on to start the biometric identity verification process.
It’s important to note that the link will only be valid for around 72 hours or 3 days. Failure to click on the link while it is valid could result in the grant beneficiaries needing to restart the identity verification process.
Beneficiaries who require further information about the new biometric identity verification are advised to contact the Sassa call centre on 0800 60 10 11 to request the SMS to be re-sent.
FAQs on Sassa’s New Requirement For SRD Grant Payments
What is the new requirement?
SASSA is introducing a new requirement for SRD grant payments. This requirement is that all beneficiaries will be required to confirm every three months whether or not they still require the grant.
Why is SASSA introducing this new requirement?
SASSA is introducing this new requirement to encourage more active engagement between SASSA and the beneficiary. It also defaults the beneficiary to not requiring the grant if they do not re-engage every three months. This will help to ensure that only those who need the grant are receiving it.
How will this new requirement work?
Beneficiaries will be notified by SMS or email when their three-month re-engagement period is due. They will then need to log into their SASSA account and confirm whether or not they still require the grant. If they do not confirm, their grant will be stopped.
What if I miss the re-engagement period?
If you miss the re-engagement period, you will need to contact SASSA to re-activate your grant. You can contact SASSA by phone or email.
Where can I get more information about this new requirement?
You can get more information about this new requirement on the SASSA website. You can also contact SASSA by phone or email.
What happens if I do not require the grant anymore?
If you do not require the grant anymore, you can simply confirm that you do not require it when you are notified of your re-engagement period. Your grant will then be stopped.
What happens if I need the grant but I miss the re-engagement period?
If you need the grant but you miss the re-engagement period, you will need to contact SASSA to re-activate your grant. You will need to provide SASSA with proof that you still need the grant.
What if I have technical difficulties logging into my SASSA account?
If you have technical difficulties logging into your SASSA account, you can contact SASSA for assistance. SASSA will be able to help you log into your account and confirm whether or not you still require the grant.
I hope this helps!
