Social relief of distress is a temporary measure for people unable to obtain even bare essentials. It is there to help them over a bad patch, apart from any other assistance pending a social grant makes in need unnecessary.
Social Relief of Distress will be granted to South African citizens or permanent residents who have no means of support and fulfill one of the following requirements:
- The applicant is waiting for some social grant to be paid.
- The applicant has been found medically unfit for remunerated work of a period less than six months.
- The breadwinner has died and the application is made within three months of this event.
- No maintenance is received from parent, child or spouse obliged in law to pay maintenance, and efforts made to obtain it have not been successful.
- The breadwinner of the household has been admitted to an institution which is maintained by the state (prison, psychiatric hospitals, home for aged persons, treatment centre substance abuse, or child/ youth care centre).
- A disaster (as defined in the Disaster Management Act) has occurred which has affected the applicant.
- The person is not getting help from any other organisation and.
- Refusal of the application for social relief of distress will lead to unreasonable hardship.
Policy Period (New Policy)
Social Relief of Distress is typically granted on a monthly basis, with a maximum duration of 3 months. In rare situations, an extension of an additional 3 months may be approved.
Please be advised that it is not permissible for an individual to receive both a social grant and social relief of distress at the same time. In the event that this occurs, the individual will be required to repay the amount received in social relief of distress. This repayment will be collected from any future or past social grant payments. However, if the person received social relief of distress due to a disaster, they will not be obligated to repay the amount.