SASSA has pleaded with “unemployment grant” beneficiaries to use their cellphones and emails to access their R350 grants instead of storming social security services offices.
Sassa CEO Busisiwe Memela-Khambula made the plea last Thursday after hundreds of people visited Sassa offices including its head office in Pretoria demanding to be assisted.
Included in the long queues were thousands of people who wanted to apply for the six-month temporary R350 unemployment grant ahead of Sassa making its first payments on Friday, since President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement last month.
Others included scores of people who had recently lost their jobs and who are waiting for their Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) payouts.
Memela-Khambula said the first payments would be sent to more than 50 000 people who applied electronically and the 100 000 who applied through emails during the piloting phase.
She further pointed out that others included some of the three million people who applied after applications were made open last Monday.
But she warned that not all three million people would be paid as their applications would go through a vetting process.
She appealed to applicants not to upload their IDs and proof of residence in the WhatsApp applications: “This has caused a number of glitches in some of the applications.”
She said the reopening of the Sassa offices were primarily aimed at assisting new applicants for old age, disability, child and foster care grants.
Those wanting to access the unemployment grant should apply through the WhatsApp number082 046 8553
and SMS number *134*7737#
.