Cape Town – Recipients of the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant can now collect their benefit from Pick n Pay and Boxer stores nationwide from Wednesday.
This is, however, only open to grant recipients who have received an SMS from the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) confirming their collection payout point as either Pick n Pay or Boxer.
Applications for this SRD grant opened on August 6 to benefit unemployed citizens, most of whom lost their jobs when Covid-19 struck in 2020.
“Pick n Pay and Boxer are proud to assist grant beneficiaries access their funds more conveniently and safely, ensuring they receive much-needed relief quicker than before,” said Pick n Pay’s head of Omnichannel, John Bradshaw.
Pick n Pay collection points exclude BP Pick n Pay Express, Pick n Pay Clothing and Pick n Pay Liquor stores.
The national postal service (Sapo) has since welcomed the move and said it would relieve pressure on its Post Offices.
Pick n Pay and Boxer do not manage the application and approval of grant funds, or when and where collections can be made, the process was entirely up to Postbank, said Sapo.
Sassa made its first SRD R350 grant payments last month.
The social agency said it received 8 931 375 applications from all nine provinces – 41% of applicants were men and 59% women.
Sapo said during the previous payment period of SRD grants, about 5 million South Africans received the grant each month.
A step-by-step process to collect the SRD grant from Pick n Pay or Boxer:
* The grant applicant will receive an SMS from Sassa confirming their successful application.
* A grant beneficiary will receive an SMS from Sassa confirming the collection point and advising on the day of collection.
* The beneficiary must take their ID and cellphone along to the store when collecting their grant.
* Enter ID number and the registered Sassa cellphone number at the till point to confirm the funds are available for collection.
* Beneficiaries will immediately receive a USSD message to which they must approve on their cellphone before the cash is handed over.
* Beneficiaries will never be asked to enter personal information on their cellphones or to click on a link.
Cape Times