Social Relief of Distress is temporary help for a household that cannot meet its most basic needs, and one of the situations it covers is waiting for an approved grant to start paying. It is not the R370 SRD grant. What you receive this way is recovered from the grant once payment begins.
No, and the names being almost identical is exactly why people miss this. Two different things share the letters SRD:
| Social Relief of Distress (this page) | COVID-19 SRD grant | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Temporary relief for a household in undue hardship | A monthly payment of R370 |
| Where you apply | At a SASSA local office | Online only, at https://srd.sassa.gov.za |
| Typical situation | An approved grant has not started paying, or a disaster | Unemployed, aged 18 to 59, income under the threshold |
| Paid back? | Recovered from the approved grant, unless it was a disaster | Not recovered |
If what you actually want is the monthly R370 payment, start at the SRD grant explained instead.
It is available to South African citizens, permanent residents and recognised refugees living in South Africa who meet one or more of these:
The first is the one this page is about, and the one most people never hear of. Your grant is approved; the payment run has not reached you yet; the month still has to be got through. That gap is a situation SASSA has a specific award for.
Approved and waiting is not the same as approved with no date
If your SRD grant month shows approved but no payment date, that is a different problem with different fixes — see approved but no payment date.
Effectively, yes, in one case. Where relief is granted while you await payment of an approved grant, the amount paid is recovered from that grant once it is in payment. It brings money forward rather than adding money — your first grant payments arrive reduced by what you already received.
The exception is a disaster: relief issued because of a disaster is not recovered.
That trade is worth understanding before you apply. If the wait is nearly over, taking relief now means a thinner first payment later. If the wait is the difference between eating and not, that is precisely what the award exists for.
A certified copy of a valid 13-digit barcoded identity document for both you and your spouse. If a valid barcoded ID is not available, alternative identification as prescribed by SASSA is accepted.
Take proof of the approved grant you are waiting on as well — the approval letter or reference — so the office can see the situation you are describing. Additional documents or information may be requested during screening, as with any grant application.
Nobody can speed up a payment for a fee
Relief while you wait is applied for at a SASSA office and costs nothing. Anyone offering to release, unlock or advance your grant money for a payment is a scammer — see help and scam warnings.
Awaiting payment of an approved social grant is one of the listed situations for Social Relief of Distress. Apply at a SASSA local office with your ID and proof of the approval.
Yes. Relief granted while you await an approved grant is recovered from that grant once it is in payment. Relief granted because of a disaster is not recovered.
No. https://srd.sassa.gov.za handles the monthly R370 SRD grant only. This award is applied for at a SASSA local office.
Yes. A school uniform may be provided where a primary caregiver cannot afford one because of hardship, or where a uniform has been lost or destroyed in a disaster.
Your spouse does not have to attend, but a certified copy of their 13-digit barcoded ID is required alongside yours.
Source: SASSA Social Relief of Distress criteria and conditions, including recovery from an approved grant. Last verified September 2026.
Reviewed by Secure The Grant editorial team against official SASSA sources on . How we check our facts