Civil society organisations #PayTheGrants, Amandla.mobi, Black Sash, the Institute for Economic Justice and the Social Policy Initiative say that the Social Security Agency of SA has not paid out Social Relief of Distress grants to millions of beneficiaries for April and May.
The Department of Social Development (DSD) issued a statement in April announcing the publication of new regulations governing applications and eligibility for the Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant.
Beneficiaries are now going into a third month without receiving the grant.
"We were shocked to discover over the last few days that not a single SRD grant has been paid in April or May," said the organisations in a statement released on Wednesday afternoon.
"This is a scandal and a national disgrace. While there had been problems prior to April, over 10 million beneficiaries were being paid on a monthly basis.
"Government has now needlessly and recklessly reversed this achievement, and the poorest South Africans have been thrown into a catastrophic situation."
Hoodah Abrahams-Fayker from Black Sash told Maverick Citizen that "according to the DSD, they are finalising agreements with the banks so that the means test can be done to verify that applicants are eligible".
Beneficiaries...
