If your R350 unemployment grant application was declined, you can lodge a complain to SASSA by a telephone call to 0800 60 10 11 or by email to srd@sassa.gov.za.
This after Sassa received numerous complaints from applicants whose Covid-19 special grant application have been denied.
The agency says people should either call 0800 60 10 11 or email srd@sassa.gov.za with their complaints in order to access the recourse mechanism.
Moreover, some applicants do not qualify as they benefit from UIF payments.
Sassa CEO Totsie Memela was in conversation with Thabiso Tema on POWER Drive on Thursday, saying: “We have about 6.7 million people who made an application and upon verification, only 3.3 million people [have] their information verified and approved.”
The R350 grant is meant for people who do not have any form of income or whatsoever, he stresses.
“You will find that when we check with UIF, government agencies and your bank accounts and we realise that this person has been getting money for the past six months.
“Remember we need to account for each and every cent we give to the people. This is public money and we have to make sure it does not go to the wrong hands.”
Memela has emphasised the importance to provide the correct information when applying.
“When you make an application, make sure that the cellphone you put there is 100% [working] because if you give us the incoherent application, you will end up in a crisis.”
He says information is verified to ensure no fraudulent activity takes place.
“When we try to do something very good for the citizens, someone somewhere else is trying to defraud the system.
“We know that there are people who would want to use their cellphones to apply or steal your I.D and make an application. We need to make sure that we close the loopholes at all costs.”
Memela adds: “What we have done is that we have addressed the catch up in terms of what we would say the backlog. There might have been people who were approved and supposed to get money in May or June.
“Those people will definitely be paid.”
POWER Digital