SASSA: What A ‘Meanstest’ R350 Grant Status Means

Over the last year there has been a lot of complications around the R350 grant. People have needed to appeal to have a second chance at the grant, and some have been given the status ‘meanstest’.

Here’s what it means:

Means testing refers to a process where any funds flowing into the account of an applicant, whose application has been declined after reconsideration, are tested against the criteria. So, if your bank account has money in it, they will consider whether you’re still liable for the SDR grant.

SASSA explains it by saying:

Means testing refers to a process where the income of an applicant (for whom the application was initially declined and upon reconsideration is still declined) will be tested.

SASSA will thus consider any funds flowed into the account of the client during the previous month or not.

Should there be no funds the application will be approved and the applicant will receive the grant. However, should there be funds in the bank account the application will remain declines.

Appeals for this grant closed on 30 April 2024. To get help with tracking a R350 grant appeal, click here.

If you are still unsure what criteria needs to be met to receive the grant, the R350 grant is paid to South African citizens or permanent residents, who have insufficient means and meet one or more of the following criteria:

• The applicant is awaiting payment of an approved social grant.
• The applicant has been found medically unfit to undertake remunerative work for a period of less than 6 months.
• The bread winner is deceased and application is made within three months of the date of death.
• No maintenance is received from parent, child or spouse obliged in law to pay maintenance, and proof is furnished that efforts made to obtain maintenance have been unsuccessful.
• The bread winner of that person`s family has been admitted to an institution funded by the state (prison, psychiatric hospital, state home for older persons, treatment centre for substance abuse or child and youth care centre).
• The applicant has been affected by a disaster as defines in the Disaster Management Act or the Fund Raising Act, 1978.
• The person is not receiving assistance from any other organization or.
• Refusal of the application for social relief of distress will cause undue hardships.

SASSA’s Social Relief of Distress (SDR) grant is a temporary provision of assistance intended for persons in such dire material need that they are unable to meet their or their families’ most basic needs.