The Daily Sun reported that the agency had put the new R350 Unemployment Grant applications on hold. This implies that community members who wish to apply for the grant will not be able to do so. The grant was introduced in 2020 to assist those affected by the pandemic.
The government issued the grant under the National State of Disaster. However, as the National State of Disaster ended, the applications for the R350 Unemployment Grants will only be processed when there is an amendment to the COVID-19 regulations. This was reportedly confirmed by Paseka Letsatsi, SASSA's spokesperson. It was reported that the SASSA spokesperson confirmed that the new applications will only be processed when the government amends the regulations from the Disaster Management to Social Assistance Act. Everything has to follow the law, and the funds can only be released when an Act is implemented.
This will affect community members who rely on the R350 Unemployment Grant. If the Social Assistance Act gets amended, the government will provide them with funds. It is not clear when the process will be completed, but many people will be affected. The Unemployment Grant may look small, but it has helped bring benefits to the unemployed community members.
Besides regulating the grant, it would also be beneficial if the government would consider increasing the amount from R350 to a figure that will enable residents to withstand the effects of inflation.
