Submitting SASSA Appeal After Application Rejection

If your application for a SASSA social grant gets rejected, you have the right to appeal the decision within 90 days. Lodging an appeal gives SASSA the chance to re-evaluate your application if you believe you still meet the eligibility criteria.

Reasons Your SASSA Grant May Be Rejected

There are various reasons your initial grant application may be declined by SASSA, including:

• Your income exceeds the means test threshold set for the grant.
• Supporting documents submitted were insufficient, outdated, or could not be verified as authentic.
• SASSA could not validate your identity, citizenship, marital status, or other details provided.
• Medical assessment reports did not adequately confirm disability.
• Your application form was incomplete or completed incorrectly.
• Budgetary constraints meant the grant had reached the maximum number of approved applicants.
• You already received another social grant.
• Grant eligibility criteria were simply not met.
• Fraudulent information was detected on the application.

How to Check Your SASSA Application Status

If it has been some time since you applied for your grant, first check what the outcome was before appealing:

Call or Email SASSA

Call the SASSA helpline or your regional office number and request your current status. Alternatively, email [email protected] providing your ID number and application reference number from your receipt.

Check Online Portal

Log into your portal account at srd.sassa.gov.za/sc19/status or use online SASSA Status Check tool to view your application status.

Visit the Nearest SASSA Office

Take your ID book and visit the office where you submitted your application for them to look up and advise you of the status.

Review Status SMS

Check the mobile number you provided with your application for any SMS messages from SASSA indicating approved, pending, or rejected status.

Do not miss the appeal window. Confirm your application was declined before proceeding to appeal.

SASSA Grant Appeal Process Step-By-Step

If you confirm your grant application was rejected but believe this decision was incorrect, swiftly follow this appeal process:

1. Obtain Appeal Form

• Visit your nearest SASSA regional office.
• Request a Social Grant Appeal Form from the Customer Service desk.
• Alternatively, download the Appeal Form from the SASSA website.

2. Complete Appeal Form

• Fully complete all sections of the Appeals Form in black ink.
• State the reason your grant application was rejected.
• Specify grounds for your appeal and why you believe you qualify.
• Indicate any additional evidence you are submitting to support your appeal.

3. Gather Supporting Documents

• Collect any new supporting documents, updated medical assessments, or supplementary evidence missing from your initial application.
• Get recent proof of income, disability evaluation, etc. Make copies.
• The stronger your evidence, the higher your appeal chances.

4. Submit Appeal In Person

• Return to the same SASSA regional office where you originally applied.
• Bring your green, barcoded ID book to verify your identity and submit the appeal yourself.
• Provide your fingerprints so your ID can be validated biometrically.
• Hand in your completed Appeal Form with all certified copies of supporting evidence.
• You will receive an SMS acknowledging receipt of your appeal.

5. Await Appeal Outcome

• Your appeal will be reviewed by the provincial Appeals Committee when they next convene.
• You will receive an SMS notification once your appeal outcome has been decided.
• If the appeal is approved, grant processing proceeds. If declined, you will be informed of the reasons.
• The entire appeal process can take up to several months from submission to final outcome.

Submitting your SASSA grant appeal promptly gives you the best chance of overturning the initial rejection.

Tips for a Successful SASSA Appeal

Follow these important tips when lodging your appeal to help ensure a favorable outcome:

• Appeal as soon as possible within the 90-day window after rejection. Do not delay.
• Thoroughly complete the Appeals Form without leaving any fields blank.
• Specify detailed grounds explaining exactly why you believe you still qualify and deserve the grant.
• Submit recent medical assessments, income statements, residence proofs, or any other updated documents previously missing or inadequate.
• Provide evidence to dispute the exact reasons your original application was rejected.
• Stick to facts and focus on meeting the grant eligibility criteria point-by-point in your appeal motivation.

Submitting a strong, evidence-backed appeal case substantiating your qualification will boost your odds of success.

SASSA Appeal Outcomes

There are two possible outcomes once your grant appeal has been reviewed:

1. Appeal Approved

If your appeal is successful, you will receive an SMS from SASSA instructing you to visit your nearest local office within 5 working days to finalize and proceed with your grant application. The remaining details will be captured, verified, and approved.

Your grant will then start processing and you will receive regular grant payments provided you remain compliant with the grant requirements.

2. Appeal Declined

If your SASSA grant appeal is unsuccessful, you will receive an SMS notifying you of the outcome. The SMS will specify reasons explaining why your appeal was declined.

If your appeal is denied, you will unfortunately have to wait up to a year to reapply for the grant again from scratch.

There are limited options if your appeal is rejected. You may make a follow-up appointment at the SASSA office to discuss the reasons. But the decision is usually final unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Common Reasons for Failed SASSA Appeals

Some common reasons SASSA Appeals Committees decline appeals are:

• Supporting evidence and documents submitted were still insufficient or inadequate to verify details.
• Updated medical assessments still did not conclusively confirm permanent disability limiting ability to work.
• Income statements indicated household income still exceeded the means test threshold.
• Your circumstances had materially changed since the original application, meaning you were no longer eligible.
• Grant budget limits and quotas had already been reached.
• Submitted details could still not be authenticated and validated.
• Fraudulent information was detected.

Failing to submit a properly completed appeal with strong evidence generally leads to declined outcomes.

Special Considerations for Medical Appeal Outcomes

If your grant was rejected because your medical assessments did not adequately confirm your disability, take note of these tips when appealing:

• Ensure your doctor provides recent, detailed reports that clinically validate the nature and severity of your condition.
• Describe precisely how your disability impacts your daily functioning and ability to undertake work activities.
• Submit current supporting documentation like laboratory tests, diagnosis images, vision charts, hearing tests, etc. as quantitative proof of disability.
• Obtain second medical opinions from specialists like physiotherapists, psychiatrists, etc. where relevant.
• If you require assistive devices like crutches, braces, wheelchairs etc., highlight this in medical reports.

Providing current, ironclad medical evidence of disability gives your appeal the strongest prospects of success.

Can I Appeal Again After an Unsuccessful Appeal?

If your initial grant application appeal is declined, unfortunately, you cannot immediately appeal again. The decision of the Appeals Committee is considered final in most cases.

You will typically have to wait 12 months from the date of your appeal outcome notification before reapplying for the grant again from the start.

However, if there are exceptional circumstances or compelling new evidence emerges at a later stage, you can return to SASSA and formally request permission to submit a secondary appeal. But there is no guarantee it will be accepted and very few secondary appeals proceed.

In most cases, your best option after an unsuccessful appeal is simply to reapply for the grant completely from scratch once the 12-month period lapses.

Reporting Corruption in the SASSA Appeals Process

If you witness or suspect any corrupt activities or nepotism during the SASSA appeals process, report this urgently by:

• Emailing [email protected]
• Calling the SASSA Anti-Fraud Hotline on 0800 601 011
• Visiting your nearest SASSA regional office and requesting to report corruption
• Filling in the online fraud report form on the SASSA website
• Phoning Crime Stop anonymously on 086 00 10111 to report social grant fraud

Malpractice compromises the fairness of the appeals system. Speak up if you encounter misconduct.

Getting Help Lodging Your SASSA Appeal

If you need assistance lodging an appeal for a rejected grant, contact:

• SASSA Call Centre – Call 0800 60 10 11 for guidance on starting an appeal.
• Legal Aid SA – Visit your local office for free legal help appealing your grant.
• SAPO Help Desks – Located in post offices, they can help explain and initiate the appeals process.
• Outreach Centres – Provide assistance with grant applications and appeals.
• Social/Community Workers – Can help you obtain, complete, and submit appeal forms and supporting documents.

Do not hesitate to ask for assistance from NGOs and social workers when appealing your grant.

FAQs about SASSA Appeal

Conclusion

The SASSA appeal process provides you with the chance to have your grant reassessed if you believe you still meet the eligibility criteria. Carefully complete the Appeals Form and provide updated evidence backing your qualification to maximize your odds of success. Submit supporting documents promptly within the 90-day window after rejection to avoid losing your right to appeal. Follow up diligently on the outcome and reapply from the start in the future if ultimately declined.