GEORGE NEWS - Since last week, Thembalethu's South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) offices have been flooded by hundreds of people who are hoping to benefit from the Social Relief of Distress grant being issued by the agency.
Hundreds of young and old people who are mostly unemployed are braving the sometimes cold morning weather to queue outside the offices of Sassa in Thembalethu, hoping to apply for this grant which, upon successful application, will guarantee them an amount of R750.
Senior Communications Officer of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), Jethro Grootboom, said there has been much confusion among the general public as to who is eligible for this grant, hence so many people are queuing for it.
"Not all people qualify for this grant, it is only those who have been approved as per the criteria of the beneficiaries," said Grootboom.
According to Sassa, the Social Relief of Distress grant is a temporary provision of assistance intended for persons in such dire material need that they are unable to meet their or their families' most basic needs.
The grant, which is for South African citizens or permanent residents, is issued monthly for a maximum period of 3 months and an extension of a further 3 months may be granted in exceptional cases.
From the early hours of the morning, people start to queue at the Sassa offices.
To qualify for this grant you must meet the following criteria:
- The applicant is awaiting payment of an approved social grant;
- The applicant has been found medically unfit to undertake remunerative work for a period of less than 6 months;
- No maintenance is received from parent, child or spouse obliged by law to pay maintenance, and proof is furnished that efforts made to obtain maintenance have been unsuccessful;
- The breadwinner is deceased and application is made within three months of the date of death;
- The bread winner of that person's family has been admitted to an institution funded by the state (prison, psychiatric hospital, state home for older persons, treatment centre for substance abuse or child and youth care centre);
- The applicant has been affected by a disaster as defined in the Disaster Management Act or the Fund Raising Act, 1978;
- The person is not receiving assistance from any other organisation; or
- Refusal of the application for social relief of distress will cause undue hardships.
The agency has also warned that no person who is receiving a social grant may receive the grant and Social Relief of Distress simultaneously.
Any person who receives both social relief and grant at the same time must repay the value of the Social Relief of Distress received.
ARTICLE & PHOTOS: ZOLANI SINXO, IDINGA EDITOR
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