SASSA SRD Appeal Guide — How To Appeal a Declined Grant and What To Expect
At a Glance: What To Do First
Check your status on the SRD status portal and confirm the exact month showing as Declined and the specific decline reason code for that month. You need the exact decline reason before you can appeal because the appeals portal requires you to select the correct appeal reason that matches your decline code. Write down the month and the decline reason before doing anything else. Then find your specific decline reason in our SRD Declined hub and follow the evidence guidance for that reason before submitting your appeal.
What a SASSA SRD Appeal Is
A SASSA SRD appeal is a formal request for an independent review of a declined monthly assessment. Appeals are reviewed by the Independent Tribunal for Social Assistance Appeals, known as ITSAA. ITSAA is independent from SASSA and reviews each appeal on its own merits based on the evidence submitted and the rules that applied for the assessed month.
An appeal is not a new application. It is a challenge to a specific monthly decision that has already been made. You are asking ITSAA to look at the decision again and determine whether it was correct based on your circumstances and evidence for that specific month.
Appeals are assessed per month. Each declined month is a separate decision and must be appealed separately. If you have multiple declined months you must submit a separate appeal for each one even if the decline reason is the same across all of them.
Who Reviews SRD Appeals
ITSAA, the Independent Tribunal for Social Assistance Appeals, is the body that reviews all SRD appeal submissions. ITSAA was established under the Social Assistance Act to provide an independent review mechanism for grant decisions. ITSAA reviewers assess whether the original decline decision was correct based on the rules applied for the assessed month and the evidence submitted with the appeal.
ITSAA’s decision on an appeal is the final internal outcome. Once ITSAA has made a decision on a specific month, that decision cannot be appealed again through the internal process. If you disagree with the ITSAA outcome, the only remaining pathway is a judicial review through the High Court.
The 90-Day Appeal Window
Every declined month has a 90-day window within which an online appeal must be submitted. The 90-day period runs from the date of the declined monthly assessment. After 90 days the online appeals portal blocks that month and you can no longer submit online.
This makes acting quickly critical. Do not wait until the end of the 90-day window to gather your evidence and submit. If you are approaching the deadline and your evidence is not yet complete, submit what you have with a note explaining that additional evidence is being obtained. A partial appeal submission is better than a missed deadline.
If your declined month is older than 90 days, you can still appeal through the written appeal process described below.
Before You Appeal: The Evidence Principle
The most important thing to understand about SRD appeals is that ITSAA makes decisions based on month-specific evidence. General statements about your current situation do not rebut a specific database match for an assessed month in the past.
Your evidence must directly address the specific decline reason for the specific assessed month. A bank statement from the wrong month, a letter that does not reference the assessed month, or a general affidavit about your current employment status are all unlikely to succeed as standalone evidence.
Before submitting any appeal, identify your exact decline reason, understand what triggered it, gather official written confirmation that directly addresses that trigger for the assessed month, and pair it with a bank statement for the same month where applicable.
For detailed evidence guidance specific to your decline reason, go to our SRD Declined hub and select your decline reason.
How To Submit Your SRD Appeal Online Step by Step
Go to the official SRD appeals portal.
Enter your South African ID number and the phone number registered to your SRD application. Request the OTP sent to your registered phone number and enter it to verify your identity.
Once logged in you will see a list of your declined months. Select the specific month you want to appeal. Each month must be selected and submitted separately.
Select the appeal reason from the dropdown. The appeal reason must match the decline code shown for that month. Selecting the wrong appeal reason is one of the most common reasons appeals are rejected without review. Match your appeal reason carefully to your decline code.
Upload your supporting documents. Ensure all documents are clearly readable, dates are fully visible, and file sizes are within the portal’s upload limits. Most documents can be uploaded as PDF or JPEG files.
Write a brief explanation in the text field if one is available. State clearly why the decline decision is incorrect for the assessed month and what your evidence shows.
Accept the declaration and submit. You will receive an SMS confirming your appeal has been received. Note the reference number in this SMS.
Appeal Reasons and Their Matching Decline Codes
The appeal reason you select must match the decline code shown on your status portal for that month. Here is the complete matching list:
Identity Verification Failed — appeal reason: identity_verification_fixed
Means Income Source Identified — appeal reason: no_alternative_income_source
Existing SASSA Grant — appeal reason: not_existing_sassa_grant
NSFAS Registered — appeal reason: not_nsfas_registered
UIF Registered — appeal reason: not_uif_registered
IPR5 Registered — appeal reason: not_ipr5_registered
Government Payroll Registered — appeal reason: not_gov_payroll_registered
Government Employee Pension — appeal reason: no_gov_employee_pension
SETA Intern — appeal reason: not_seta_intern
Debt Relief — appeal reason: no_debt_relief
Spaza Shop Relief — appeal reason: no_spaza_shop_relief
Farmer Relief — appeal reason: no_farmer_relief
In Government Facility — appeal reason: not_in_gov_facility
Age Outside Allowed Range — appeal reason: not_outside_qualifying_age
Sport Relief — appeal reason: no_sport_relief
Referred Linked Risk Mobile and Referred SAFPS — contact SASSA on 0800 60 10 11 to confirm the correct appeal reason before submitting.
Written Appeals for Months Older Than 90 Days
If the online portal blocks the month you want to appeal because it is older than 90 days, you can still submit a written appeal through SASSA directly.
Download the official SASSA appeal form from sassa.gov.za. Complete the form for the specific declined month. Include your full name, ID number, the month you are appealing, the decline reason shown on the portal, and a clear explanation of why the decision is incorrect.
Attach certified copies of all your supporting documents. Ensure all dates are clearly visible. Include a covering letter explaining which month you are appealing, why the decline is incorrect, and why the online deadline was missed.
Submit the completed form and documents in person at your nearest SASSA office or by registered post to your provincial SASSA office. Keep your proof of submission, whether a receipt from the SASSA office or a registered post tracking number.
Written appeals are reviewed by ITSAA through the same process as online appeals and carry the same weight.
What Happens After You Submit Your Appeal
After submitting your appeal you will receive an SMS confirming receipt. ITSAA will then review your submission. Processing times vary depending on appeal volumes but reviews typically take several weeks.
You can track your appeal status at the SRD appeals portal. Log in using your ID number and registered phone number and check the outcome for the month you appealed. The outcome will show as one of three results: Pending, Approved, or Declined.
Pending means ITSAA has received your appeal and the review is still in progress. Continue checking periodically.
Approved means ITSAA found in your favour. Payment for that specific month will be initiated and will follow SRD payment processing timelines. There is no single fixed appeal payment date. Check your SRD status portal for a payment date once your appeal shows as approved.
Declined means ITSAA reviewed your appeal and upheld the original decline decision for that month. This is the final internal outcome for that month.
If Your Appeal Is Declined
A declined appeal outcome from ITSAA is the final decision through the internal SASSA and ITSAA process. You cannot submit another appeal for the same month through the portal.
Two options remain outside the internal process.
Judicial review through the High Court. You have 180 days from the final ITSAA decision to apply for judicial review under the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act, known as PAJA. Judicial review challenges whether the decision was made lawfully and in accordance with correct procedures. This is a formal legal process that requires legal assistance.
Free legal assistance. Both Legal Aid South Africa and Black Sash provide free assistance to grant applicants. Contact either organisation before deciding to pursue a court process. They can assess whether your case has merit and advise on the most appropriate next step.
Common Reasons Appeals Fail
Evidence does not cover the assessed month. Your documents must specifically address the assessed month shown on the portal. A bank statement from a different month or a letter that does not reference the assessed month is unlikely to succeed.
Wrong appeal reason selected. If you select an appeal reason that does not match your decline code, ITSAA may reject your appeal without reviewing the evidence. Match your appeal reason to your decline code carefully using the list above.
General statements instead of specific confirmation. An affidavit saying you are unemployed does not rebut a specific database match. You need official written confirmation from the organisation whose record triggered the decline, specifically referencing the assessed month.
Missing end dates on documents. For employment, programme, and facility-related declines, your evidence must show both a start date and an end date that falls before the assessed month. A document with only a start date does not prove the record had ended.
Uploading unreadable documents. Blurred photographs, cropped letters, or documents where key information is cut off are a common reason appeals are delayed or rejected. Ensure all stamps, signatures, dates, and ID numbers are fully visible before uploading.
Appealing after the 90-day window. Online appeals submitted after 90 days will be blocked by the portal. Use the written appeal process for older months.
Appealing Multiple Declined Months
If you have several declined months, work through them systematically. Start with the most recent declined months first since these are closest to the 90-day deadline. Older months that are already past 90 days will need written appeals and are less time-sensitive in terms of the online portal.
For each month, confirm the exact decline reason, gather month-specific evidence for that reason, and submit a separate appeal. Do not combine multiple months into a single appeal submission. Each month requires its own appeal with its own evidence.
How To Check Your Appeal Status
Go to the official SRD appeals portal. Log in with your ID number and registered phone number. Enter the OTP. Select the month you appealed and check the outcome shown.
You can also check your appeal status by phone. Call SASSA on 0800 60 10 11 and select Option 2 for appeals. Tell the agent which month you are enquiring about and ask for the current appeal status. Note the call reference number.
Scam Awareness for SRD Appeals
SRD appeals are completely free. Any person or service charging a fee to submit an appeal, improve your chances, or speed up the review process is a scam.
Common appeal-related scams include people claiming they can guarantee your appeal will be approved for a fee, fake appeal submission portals that steal your ID and phone number, agents asking for your OTP to submit your appeal on your behalf, and WhatsApp messages offering to fix your decline reason for payment.
ITSAA and SASSA do not use third-party agents. All appeals are submitted directly through the official SRD appeals portal or in writing at a SASSA office. Never share your OTP with anyone.
Summary: How To Appeal Your Declined SRD Grant
- Check your SRD status portal and write down the exact month and decline reason code.
- Find your decline reason in our SRD Declined hub and follow the evidence guidance for that specific reason.
- Gather official written confirmation from the relevant organisation covering the assessed month.
- Go to the SRD appeals portal within 90 days of the declined month.
- Select the correct appeal reason matching your decline code using the list above.
- Upload your supporting documents with dates clearly visible.
- Submit and note the confirmation SMS reference number.
- Track your appeal status at the appeals portal or by calling 0800 60 10 11.
- If your appeal is approved, check the status portal for your payment date.
- If your appeal is declined, contact Legal Aid South Africa or Black Sash for free advice on next steps.
SASSA SRD Appeal FAQs
How long does an ITSAA appeal review take? Processing times vary depending on appeal volumes. Reviews typically take several weeks. Track your status at the appeals portal and avoid resubmitting the same appeal as this does not speed up the process.
Can I appeal more than one month at a time? You must submit a separate appeal for each declined month. Each month is a separate decision and requires its own appeal submission and evidence.
What if I selected the wrong appeal reason? If you realised immediately after submitting that you selected the wrong reason, contact SASSA on 0800 60 10 11 and explain the situation. Ask whether the appeal can be corrected before ITSAA reviews it.
Can I appeal if my appeal was already declined once? No. A declined ITSAA decision is final for that month through the internal process. The only remaining option is a judicial review through the High Court. Contact Legal Aid South Africa or Black Sash for free advice.
Does an approved appeal affect future months? An approved appeal covers only the specific month appealed. Future months are assessed independently. If the underlying issue that caused the decline has been resolved at source, future months should assess without the same decline.
I submitted my appeal but did not receive a confirmation SMS. Was it submitted? Log in to the appeals portal and check whether the month shows an appeal submitted status. If it does, your appeal was received. If the confirmation SMS did not arrive, check whether your registered phone number is active and receiving messages.
My registered phone number has changed and I cannot log in to submit an appeal. What do I do? Update your phone number first by visiting a SASSA office with your ID document and new active SIM. Once your number is updated you can log in to the appeals portal. If you are approaching the 90-day deadline, ask the SASSA office to assist you with the appeal submission during the same visit.
Can someone else submit my appeal for me? The appeals portal requires the OTP sent to your registered phone number. If you are unable to submit yourself, you need to have access to your registered number. Contact SASSA on 0800 60 10 11 for guidance on alternative submission options if you are genuinely unable to submit independently.
What is PAJA and how does it apply to my appeal? PAJA is the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act. It gives you the right to challenge government decisions that were made unlawfully or unfairly through the courts. If ITSAA declines your appeal and you believe the decision was wrong, you have 180 days from that decision to apply for judicial review under PAJA. This requires legal assistance. Contact Legal Aid South Africa for free advice.
Official References
- SRD status portal
- SRD appeals portal
- SRD appeals guidance
- SASSA website
- SASSA helpline: 0800 60 10 11 (free, Monday to Friday)
- SASSA WhatsApp: 082 046 8553
- SRD Declined hub — all decline reasons
- Legal Aid South Africa
- Black Sash
Information on this page is sourced from official SASSA announcements and verified against www.sassa.gov.za. For official queries contact SASSA directly at www.sassa.gov.za or call 0800 60 10 11.
