Your SRD appeal has been decided. Whatever the screen says, the tribunal has answered one question for each month you appealed: was SASSA right to decline it? This page explains the two possible answers, what happens to your R370 when the tribunal sides with you, and where you stand when it does not.
A quick note on the word in the address bar: SASSA’s own “reconsideration” step for the SRD grant only dealt with SRD applications made between May 2020 and March 2022, and it has closed. A result you receive today comes from ITSAA, the grant appeals tribunal that works independently of SASSA.
The two results a month can get
- Appeal upheld (successful). The tribunal found that you qualified for that month after all, and SASSA’s decline is set aside.
- Appeal dismissed (unsuccessful). The tribunal agreed with SASSA. The decline for that month stands.
The tribunal site may phrase these differently, for example as approved or declined. If a month shows neither, the appeal has not been decided yet; our guide to tracking an appeal in progress covers that stage.
When the tribunal rules in your favour
Winning means SASSA back-pays the month concerned, so you receive the R370 you missed for that month. It is not a lump sum for every month you were declined: only the months you appealed and won are paid. Payment goes through SASSA’s normal SRD system, which means a few things on your side must be in order:
- Your bank details on srd.sassa.gov.za must be current, and the account has to be yours, since SASSA pays only into an account held by the applicant.
- If SASSA asks you to verify your identity with a selfie link, complete it, or the payment can stay on hold.
- Watch for a pay day appearing against the month on your SRD status. Our page on finding your pay date once a month is approved explains how to read it.
SASSA publishes no fixed date for paying out appeal wins, and payment can come in a later run than the decision itself. If several weeks pass after a successful ruling with no pay day showing, phone SASSA’s toll-free line, 0800 60 10 11, and have the tribunal’s decision to hand.
When the tribunal dismisses your appeal
A dismissal is final within the social grant system. There is no higher tribunal and no second appeal for the same month. The only further level is a judicial review in the High Court, which has its own time limit and normally needs legal help. Our page on next steps after a declined appeal walks through that option and the alternatives in detail.
A dismissed month also says nothing about the months that follow. SASSA tests each month afresh, so if your circumstances have changed, later months can still be approved.
Mixed results across several months
It is common to win some months and lose others. Each appealed month is judged on the facts for that month: income in your bank account in March, for example, has no bearing on April. Read each month’s result on its own, and if one month failed while a similar month succeeded, check whether you gave the same reason and the same explanation for both. Anyone with declined months that were never appealed can still lodge an appeal if those months are within 90 days.