Sassa Statement: 5 Million SRD applications Approved. Sassa has issued a press statement indication that 5 million SRD applications approved recently. Of all these applications, over 4 million people have been paid already.
The agency has also clarified that 5% of the grant applicants holds a tertiary qualification not 60% as reported by other media platforms. Here below is a full statement from Sassa dated 29 July 2022.
YOUTH ACCOUNT FOR 60% OF COVID-19 SRD APPLICATIONS- 5% HOLD TERTIARY QUALIFICATIONS
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has made great strides in its efforts to alleviate poverty and provide a lifeline to the most vulnerable in society through the COVID-19 SRD. This form of SRD was introduced to particularly target citizens of working age who are not accommodated in the social assistance safety net.
According to statistics approximately 60% of applicants who apply for the COVID-19 SRD Grant are youth. This correlates with the unemployment rate amongst youth which is approximately 63%; of all the applicants (youth and non-youth), approximately 5% hold tertiary qualifications. The Agency is concerned about the misreporting of these statistics released by the Agency, which indicates that youth holding tertiary qualifications account for 60% of R350 special grant applications. SASSA would like to put it on record that this information is factually incorrect
The high rate of unemployment amongst the youth is a great cause for concern and the agency remains committed to playing its part in fighting the scourge of unemployment. Furthermore the agency has made progress with regards to payments for this special grant, approximately 5 298 817 applications were approved, as at 19 July 2022, and 4 088 873 of those have received payment.
The agency would like to reiterate that COVID-19 SRD applications are strictly done online and not at SASSA offices. COVID-19 SRD clients who may have enquiries regarding their grants are advised to contact our toll-free customer care line on 0800 60 10 11 or send an email to grantenquiries@sassa.gov.za
ISSUED BY SASSA
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Question time
Are you one of those beneficiaries paid already? If not, what do you think is the reason you are not yet paid?