social relief of distress 2024-2025
social relief of distress 2024-2025
Basic information on Sassa 2024-2025 is available on this page. Continue to read this page.
A temporary form of aid called social relief of distress is meant for persons who are in such extreme financial need that they are unable to provide for the most basic necessities of either themselves or their family.
Social Relief of Distress is available to South African citizens and permanent residents who meet one or more of the following requirements and have insufficient resources:
- The applicant is expecting payment of a social grant that has been authorized.
- The applicant has been determined medically incapable to perform remunerative work for less than six months.
- The breadwinner has died, and the application is made within three months of his or her death.
- No maintenance is received from a parent, child, or spouse who is legally required to pay maintenance, and documentation that efforts to get maintenance have been futile is provided.
- The breadwinner of that person’s family has been admitted to a state-funded institution (prison, psychiatric hospital, state home for older persons, treatment center for substance abuse, or child and youth care center).
- The applicant has been affected by a disaster as defined by the Disaster Management Act or the Fund Raising Act, both of which were enacted in 1978.
No other organization or person is assisting the individual. - Refusing to apply for social relief of distress will result in an undue hardship.
Period of Social Relief of Distress (New Policy)
- For a maximum of three months, Social Relief of Distress is distributed once a month. An extra three-month extension may be granted in rare situations.
- It should be remembered that a person who receives a social grant cannot simultaneously obtain social distress assistance. Anyone who receives both social assistance and a grant must refund the value of the social assistance. This amount will be deducted from all future social grant payments, including arrears. However, if the person receiving a social grant got catastrophe aid, that sum will not be recovered.