Got SRD Approval But No Money? Here’s Why and What You Need to Do Next
At a Glance: What To Do First
Check your status on the SRD status portal and confirm the specific month shows as Approved. Then check whether a payment date is showing for that month. If a payment date is showing, your payment is scheduled and may simply not have reflected yet depending on your payment method. If no payment date is showing for an approved month, your banking details need to be verified or updated. If your banking details show as incorrect or unverified, fix that first before doing anything else.
Why an Approved SRD Grant Can Go Unpaid
SRD approval and SRD payment are two separate steps. Approval means you qualified for the grant for that month. Payment means the funds have been processed and sent to your chosen payment method. Several things can prevent payment from happening even after approval.
Banking details not verified or incorrect. This is the most common reason an approved SRD grant is not paid. SASSA verifies your banking details against the account you provided before processing payment. If the account name does not match your ID, the account is closed or inactive, the account number was captured incorrectly, or your account does not accept the type of deposit SASSA uses, payment will be blocked.
No payment method on record. If you did not provide banking details when you applied or if your banking details were removed during a security review, SASSA has nowhere to send the payment.
Payment method changed but not updated on SRD profile. If you changed banks, closed your account, or changed your payment preference after applying, the old details on your SRD profile are no longer valid.
CashSend payment not collected. If your SRD is paid via CashSend and you did not collect within the collection window, the payment may have reversed. Contact SASSA to request reprocessing.
Payment processed to old banking details. If your details were updated after a payment was already processed, the payment may have gone to your old account. Contact your old bank to check whether the funds are there.
Pending verification. Your approval may show before SASSA has completed all payment verification steps. Some approved months take additional time to move from approval to payment processing.
System processing delay. SRD payments are processed in batches across a payment window each month. Your payment may be scheduled within the window but has not yet reflected in your account. Allow the full payment window to pass before treating it as a non-payment problem.
How To Check Your Personal SRD Payment Date
Your SRD payment date is personal to you and is different from the general SRD payment window dates published each month. To find your specific payment date, go to the SRD status portal, enter your ID number and registered phone number, request the OTP, and log in. Select the approved month and look for a payment date shown alongside the approved status. Note this date and allow at least two additional working days after the payment date for the funds to reflect in your account, particularly for smaller banks and digital accounts.
If no payment date is showing for an approved month, your payment has not yet been scheduled. This is usually a sign that your banking details need attention.
SRD Payment Methods and What Affects Each One
Bank account deposit. The most reliable payment method. SASSA deposits directly into your nominated account. Delays of one to two working days after the payment date are normal. If funds have not appeared within three working days of your payment date, contact SASSA.
Post Office cash payment. SASSA Post Office payments were affected by significant disruptions following the Post Office’s financial difficulties. If you are still registered for Post Office collection, update your payment method to a bank account or retail partner as soon as possible using the official SRD banking details update process.
CashSend. SASSA sends a voucher to your registered phone number. You collect cash at an ATM or participating retailer using the voucher code. CashSend vouchers expire if not collected within the collection window. If your voucher expired, contact SASSA to request reprocessing.
Retail collection at partners. SASSA has arrangements with certain retail partners including Pick n Pay, Boxer, Shoprite, Checkers, and Usave for cash collection. To use this method your SRD must be linked to a retail collection option. You will receive an SMS with collection instructions. Take your ID document to the retail partner on or after your payment date to collect.
How To Fix Banking Details Problems
If your banking details are incorrect, unverified, or missing on your SRD profile, you must update them through the official SASSA SRD banking details update process.
Go to the official SRD portal and follow the update process. You will need your ID number, your registered phone number for the OTP, and your new bank account details including account number and branch code.
Important points when updating banking details: use only an account in your own name that matches your ID document. Joint accounts or accounts in another person’s name will fail SASSA’s verification. Make sure the account is active and accepts deposits. Savings accounts, transmission accounts, and prepaid card accounts all work. Some digital bank accounts such as TymeBank and Capitec are widely used for SRD payments.
After updating your details, allow one to two payment cycles for the change to be processed and verified before expecting payment to reflect in the new account.
What To Do If Payment Still Has Not Arrived
If your payment date has passed, your banking details are correct, and funds have not reflected after three working days, follow these steps in order.
Check your account statement carefully. Confirm you are checking the correct account. SASSA payments sometimes reflect with a reference that does not immediately appear as SASSA. The reference may show as SOCIAL GRANT, SAPO, or a reference number rather than SASSA specifically.
Contact your bank. Ask your bank to confirm whether a deposit from SASSA was received and rejected or returned. Some accounts reject government deposits if account settings are configured to block certain transaction types. If your bank returned the payment, ask them to reverse the block and contact SASSA to request reprocessing.
Contact SASSA on 0800 60 10 11. Call and ask them to confirm your payment status for the specific approved month. Ask for the payment reference number and which account it was processed to. Note the call reference number. If the payment was processed to incorrect details or an account that rejected it, request that it be reprocessed.
Visit your nearest SASSA office if phone contact does not resolve the issue. Take your ID document, your bank statement, and a note of all your call reference numbers. Ask the official to investigate your payment status and request escalation if needed.
Copy and Paste Template for SASSA Follow-Up
Subject: SRD Payment Not Received — [Your ID Number] — [Month Year]
Message:
Dear SASSA,
I am writing to follow up on an SRD R370 payment that has not reflected in my account. My SRD status for [Month Year] shows as Approved but I have not received payment as of [date].
Full name: [Your full name] ID number: [Your 13-digit ID number] Phone number registered to SRD: [Your phone number] Bank account details on file: [Account number and bank name if known] Payment date shown on portal: [Date if visible]
Please confirm whether payment was processed for this month, the payment reference number, and which account it was processed to. If the payment failed or was returned, please advise on the reprocessing timeline.
Thank you.
Approved But No Payment Date Showing: What This Means
If your SRD status shows Approved for a month but no payment date appears, payment has not yet been scheduled for that month. This happens when SASSA has not yet verified your banking details for payment processing, when banking details were recently updated and the verification process is still in progress, or when your payment method requires additional confirmation.
In this situation: confirm your banking details are correctly captured on the SRD portal, ensure the account is in your name and active, and allow one to two payment cycles for verification to complete. If no payment date has appeared after two payment cycles, contact SASSA on 0800 60 10 11 for a status update.
Reapplication Required Alongside Unpaid Approved Months
Some applicants find that older months show as Approved and unpaid while their current status shows Reapplication Required. In this situation, the approved but unpaid months from your previous application period are handled separately from your current reapplication. Contact SASSA specifically about the unpaid approved months from the previous period while also completing your reapplication for the current period. The two processes run independently.
Scam Awareness for Unpaid SRD Payments
People with approved but unpaid SRD grants are frequently targeted by scammers. Common scams include people claiming they can release or unlock your payment for a fee, phone calls claiming to be SASSA and asking for your PIN or banking details, and fake websites claiming to process SRD banking detail updates.
SASSA will never call you asking for your banking PIN, your SRD PIN, or your OTP. Banking details updates are done only at srd.sassa.gov.za. Anyone asking for a fee to process your SRD payment is a scammer. SRD services are completely free.
Summary: What To Do If Your SRD Payment Has Not Arrived
- Check your SRD status portal to confirm the month shows as Approved and note your personal payment date.
- If no payment date is showing, check and update your banking details at srd.sassa.gov.za.
- If a payment date is showing, allow three working days after that date before treating it as a non-payment problem.
- Check your bank statement carefully for deposits with non-SASSA references.
- Contact your bank to confirm whether a SASSA deposit was received and rejected.
- Contact SASSA on 0800 60 10 11 to confirm payment status and request reprocessing if needed.
- Visit your nearest SASSA office if phone contact does not resolve the issue.
SRD Payment Not Received FAQs
My status is Approved but there is no payment date. What does this mean? Payment has not yet been scheduled. This usually means your banking details need to be verified or updated. Check your banking details on the SRD portal and ensure the account is in your name and active.
How long after my payment date should I wait before contacting SASSA? Allow three working days after your payment date before treating it as a problem. Bank processing times vary and smaller banks and digital accounts sometimes take longer to reflect SASSA deposits.
My bank says they received and returned the payment. What do I do? Ask your bank to reverse any setting that caused the return and contact SASSA on 0800 60 10 11 to request reprocessing of the returned payment.
I updated my banking details but payment still went to my old account. What now? If the update was completed after payment was already processed, the funds went to the old account. Contact your old bank to check whether the funds are there and contact SASSA to clarify whether reprocessing is needed for future months.
I collect at a retail partner. My payment date passed but the store says there is nothing for me. What do I do? Contact SASSA on 0800 60 10 11 and confirm your payment method and collection reference. Your collection may be at a different retail partner from the one you visited.
Can I get paid for multiple approved but unpaid months at once? Each approved month is processed separately. Contact SASSA to confirm the status of each approved month and whether payments for older months can be reprocessed.
The Post Office option is no longer working for me. How do I change to a bank account? Update your payment method through the official SRD banking details update process at srd.sassa.gov.za.
Official References
- SRD status portal
- SRD portal
- SASSA website
- SASSA helpline: 0800 60 10 11 (free, Monday to Friday)
- SASSA WhatsApp: 082 046 8553
- SASSA payment dates 2025/2026
- 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.
