The Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, often called the R370 grant, is SASSA’s monthly payment for unemployed adults with little or no income. Here is what it pays, how long it runs, who qualifies and how to apply and check your status.
Last checked: October 2026.
How Much Is the SRD Grant and How Long Will It Run?
The SRD grant pays R370 a month. In the 2026 Budget, National Treasury allocated an extra R36.4 billion to extend SRD payments until 31 March 2027 at R370 per beneficiary per month.
Who Qualifies?
According to SASSA, you must:
- be a South African citizen, permanent resident or recognised refugee, or hold a valid special permit under the Special Angolan, Lesotho Exemption Permit or Zimbabwe Exemption Permit dispensations, or be an asylum seeker with a valid Section 22 permit or visa;
- be registered on the Department of Home Affairs database or, for people without identity documents, on SASSA’s social grant database with a unique system-generated identifying number, according to SASSA’s SRD page;
- be between 18 and 60 years old;
- live in South Africa;
- not be cared for in a state-funded institution;
- not unreasonably refuse a job or an education opportunity;
- pass the means test;
- not receive another social grant for yourself.
How to Apply
SASSA says the SRD is available only through its online channels. Apply on the official SRD portal. All new applicants must complete facial biometric verification (eKYC) before SASSA can approve the grant.
Check Your SRD Status
Check your application and payment status on the SRD portal. SASSA’s rules for common statuses:
- Referred: log in to the SRD portal, request a link to update your information and complete the facial biometric verification.
- Approved but not paid: request a verification link and complete the facial recognition process.
- Changing your cell phone number: you must also complete facial recognition verification.
For a step-by-step guide, see our SASSA status check guide. If you lost your application ID, see how to get your SRD application ID.
SRD Payment Dates
SASSA does not publish one national payment date for the SRD grant in its grant information. Check your status on the SRD portal for your payment. We will add dates here when SASSA announces them.
Declined? You Can Appeal
If your application is declined, you can appeal. See our guide on how to appeal a declined SRD application. To change where your grant is paid, see how to update your SRD banking details.
For other questions, call SASSA’s toll-free line on 0800 60 10 11 or email [email protected].
