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Chapter 7 - Social Welfare

Social Relief of Distress Award

A Social Relief of Distress Award is a temporary form of support - in voucher, cash or food - for people that are in crisis and in need of immediate help to survive. The amount of temporary relief will usually be equivalent to the amount of a grant that the person would qualify for less than a grant and it will only be given for up to three months. You can apply for an extension of the relief for another three months. A social worker or officer, referred by SASSA, will be sent to check your situation and write a report to qualify for further extension. Because this is supposed to be for immediate relief, the application should not take long to process.

Who can apply for this award?

Relief can be granted to anyone:

• If they have applied for an award and the award is not yet ready (this relief will be deducted from their grant once they get it);
• who has appealed against the suspension of their grant;
• who  is too sick to work for less than 6 months (if a person is sick for more than six months, they can apply for a disability grant);
• where the person in the family who earns the money (the breadwinner) has just died, gone to prison or gone to a treatment centre or hospital;
• who has experienced a disaster, such as a house burning down or being flooded; however they will not receive relief if the whole area has been affected by the disaster and other emergency funds are made available for the area
• if they or their household is experiencing undue hardship

You cannot get relief if:

• you are receiving assistance from another organisation, or
• you are receiving another grant, for example a Child Support Grant.

Applying for relief

The process for applying for Social Relief of Distress is the same as for all other grants.

What do you need in order to apply for relief?

You will need the following documents in order to apply:

• A valid bar-coded South African identity document  including any other alternative proof of identity of the applicant, spouse or their children
• Proof of minimal resources (in other words, that you are in a crisis situation)
• Proof of marital status
• Proof of admission of spouse to prison, treatment centre or hospital or proof that you are awaiting trial
• Discharge certificate of prison, treatment centre or hospital
• Proof of temporary medical disability
• Proof from the magistrate’s court that you are not receiving any maintenance
• Proof of insufficient means by way of a declaration
• Any other alternative proof may be accepted

See Model letter: Application for Social Relief of Distress Grant.

What is the value of the Social Relief of Distress Award?

The value of the Social Relief of Distress award must be equal to, in the case of:

• a single person: an amount not more than the maximum amount payable per month in respect of an Older Person’s Grant
• a married person: where both spouses live together, an amount not more than the amount payable per month for each adult;
• a child: an amount not more than the maximum of the type of child support grant applied for

If you are not eligible for a grant, the amount would be at the discretion of SASSA but it should not be less than the amount of the Child Support Grant.

How is the Social Relief of Distress Award paid out?

When your application is approved, you will be issued with a voucher or a food parcel. 
It will take less than 30 working days for your application to be processed and checked and either approved or refused. If it is refused you will get a letter explaining why it has been refused and how you can appeal.

Transport relief

There is also a special form of relief for transport money. This relief is given once only and must be recommended by the social worker for people who:

• have been told by their doctor or clinic that they need special medical treatment, but they cannot afford the transport to get to the place where they will be treated;
• have been promised a job but do not have enough money to pay for transport to reach the place of employment.

What do you need in order to apply for relief?

• A document from the doctor which explains the treatment needed and where it is available
• A letter from a prospective employer confirming date and place of employment in order to substantiate the application.