A USSD code is the kind you dial with star and hash keys, like checking your airtime balance. It needs no internet and works on the most basic handset, which is why so many people look for a SASSA one. Here is the honest picture: SASSA did run a USSD line for the relief grant, but it is not in SASSA’s current list of channels, and we could not confirm that it still gives status results.
The code SASSA actually used: *134*7737#
When the COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress grant opened in May 2020, government listed *134*7737# as an application channel for people without smartphones. It was hugely popular: SASSA reported that about 2.4 million of the first applications arrived through the USSD line, far more than through the website. When SRD reopened in August 2021, SASSA announced it would add USSD again for applicants without smartphones.
SASSA’s 2026 booklet, “You and Your Grant”, lists the SRD website, the services portal, a WhatsApp number, email and the call centre, but no USSD code. The booklet tells SRD applicants to check their status on srd.sassa.gov.za. So *134*7737# should be treated as a former official channel whose current status is unconfirmed.
Codes you should not dial
Websites that are not run by SASSA circulate other star-and-hash codes for “SASSA status”. We found no SASSA or government source for any of them. A USSD session can ask for your ID number, and a code nobody official stands behind could pass that to anyone. Stick to codes that appear on gov.za, sassa.gov.za or in SASSA’s own printed material.
If you try *134*7737# today
- Dial it from the SIM whose number is on your SRD application.
- Read each menu carefully. Reply with the number of the option you want and press send.
- If the menu asks for your ID number, check that it mentions SASSA or the SRD grant before you type it.
- Never enter a bank PIN. SASSA does not ask for one on any channel.
If you get “unknown application”, “invalid code” or no reply at all, the service is not running on your network. That is not a sign that anything is wrong with your grant.
What a USSD screen can and cannot tell you
Even when it worked, USSD was built for short exchanges. A few lines of text can carry a word like “approved” or “pending”, but not the month-by-month list, the pay day, the reason for a decline, or the links to update bank details and complete facial verification that the website offers. Those only appear on srd.sassa.gov.za. If USSD gives you a short answer, confirm it on the full site; the R370 online check guide explains each result in detail.
Why USSD sessions drop
- Networks close a session after a short pause, so have your ID number written down before you dial.
- Weak signal can cut the session halfway; move somewhere with better reception and start again.
- “Connection problem or invalid MMI code” usually means a mistyped code or one your network doesn’t carry.
Better choices for a basic phone
Without a smartphone, the SASSA call centre on 0800 60 10 11 is the most dependable option, and our guide to checking status by phone explains what to have ready. To see which routes cost nothing, read which SASSA channels are truly free, and for the full list by grant type see all the ways to check SASSA status.