Receiving Farmer Relief? Here’s Why Your SRD Was Declined and How to Appeal It
At a Glance: What To Do First
Confirm the exact month showing farmer_relief on your SRD status portal. Check whether you applied for, registered on, or received any government farmer relief or agricultural support programme during that specific month. If you received a benefit during the assessed month, the decline may be correct for that period. If you did not participate, if your participation ended before the assessed month, or if the record is incorrectly linked to your ID, you have grounds to appeal using no_farmer_relief. Month-specific written confirmation from the relevant programme administrator is the strongest evidence you can submit.
What Farmer Relief Means on the SRD Portal
When your SRD application shows Farmer Relief, the automated SRD check detected a farmer relief or agricultural support programme record matched to your ID for the assessed month. Government agricultural support programmes provide financial assistance, input vouchers, infrastructure support, or disaster relief to qualifying farmers and smallholder producers. Participation in or registration on such a programme is treated as a form of government financial support, which affects SRD eligibility.
The wording appears differently depending on which portal you are using:
SRD status portal (srd.sassa.gov.za/sc19/status): Farmer Relief
SRD appeals portal (srd.sassa.gov.za/appeals/appeal): farmer_relief
Your appeal reason on the appeals portal: no_farmer_relief
Because SRD is assessed per month, the question is not whether you have ever been associated with a farmer relief programme but whether a beneficiary record was active and a benefit was received during the specific assessed month. A record from a previous period that was not properly closed can continue triggering declines for months after the benefit ended.
If you genuinely received farmer relief or agricultural support during the assessed month, an appeal for that period is unlikely to succeed. If the record is incorrect, outdated, or belongs to someone else, you have a valid basis to appeal.
What Farmer Relief Programmes Are and Which Can Trigger This Decline
South Africa has several government programmes that provide agricultural relief and support to farmers, smallholder producers, and emerging farmers. Records from these programmes are used in SRD eligibility cross-checks. Understanding which programme may be linked to your ID helps you identify the right administrator to contact.
Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP). Administered by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD). Provides post-settlement support to land reform beneficiaries and smallholder farmers through infrastructure, training, marketing, and financial assistance. Beneficiary registrations are captured under ID numbers and held in DALRRD’s systems.
Ilima/Letsema Programme. Administered by DALRRD. Provides production inputs, mechanisation support, and technical assistance to smallholder and subsistence farmers. Beneficiaries are registered with DALRRD using ID documents.
COVID-19 Agricultural Disaster Relief Fund. Administered by DALRRD during the COVID-19 period. Provided financial relief to commercial and smallholder farmers who experienced losses due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. Applications required ID documentation and records were held in DALRRD’s relief database.
Drought, Flood, and Natural Disaster Farmer Relief. Various provincial Departments of Agriculture administer emergency relief to farmers affected by natural disasters including severe drought, floods, and frost damage. These programmes capture beneficiary ID numbers and may generate records that appear in national database cross-checks.
Land Bank Relief and Debt Relief Measures for Farmers. The Land Bank has administered various debt relief and restructuring measures for farmers in financial distress. Applications under these measures require ID documentation and create records in the Land Bank’s systems.
Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP) Agricultural Components. Certain agricultural income support and job creation components of the PESP are administered through DALRRD and create beneficiary records under participant ID numbers.
Provincial Farmer Support Programmes. All nine provinces administer their own smallholder and emerging farmer support schemes through provincial Departments of Agriculture. These include input voucher schemes, mechanisation support, and emergency relief, all of which capture beneficiary ID numbers.
If you are unsure which specific programme triggered the decline, contact SASSA on 0800 60 10 11 and ask which programme record was detected for the assessed month. This helps you identify the correct administrator to approach.
Common Causes Behind This SRD Decline
Active farmer relief benefit during the assessed month. You received financial support, input vouchers, or other programme benefit during the month in question. The decline may be correct.
Record not closed after programme ended. When a relief programme concludes or your participation ends, the record should be updated in the programme database. Provincial and national agricultural departments do not always update records promptly. Former beneficiaries can continue to appear as active for months after their last benefit was received.
Applied but never received a benefit. You submitted an application for farmer relief or agricultural support but were not approved or never received a payment. In some cases, rejected or incomplete applications still leave a record in the database linked to your ID.
Registered on a programme without receiving payment. You completed a registration process during a farmer support survey or beneficiary listing exercise but no financial benefit was disbursed to you. The registration record alone may still trigger the SRD match.
Incorrect ID linkage. A farmer relief record belonging to another person has been linked to your ID due to a data capture error during application processing, particularly where ID documents were captured manually during field registration drives.
Data timing across months. A once-off input voucher or disaster relief payment processed in a specific month may appear in the database as covering multiple months, triggering declines for periods when no actual benefit was received.
Similar name or shared household registration. In rural areas where smallholder farmer registrations are sometimes completed through community-based processes, records may have been created under an incorrect ID due to name similarity or household misattribution.
Programme Follow-Up: Get Month-Specific Confirmation Before You Appeal
Before submitting your appeal, contact the relevant programme administrator and request written confirmation of your participation status for the specific assessed month. A general denial that you are not a farmer is less useful than a specific confirmation covering the assessed month from the correct administrator.
Which Administrator To Contact
For CASP, Ilima/Letsema, COVID-19 Agricultural Relief, and national DALRRD programmes:
Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) Website: dalrrd.gov.za Call centre: 012 319 6000 Toll-free: 0800 00 0017 Email: info@dalrrd.gov.za
For provincial farmer relief programmes:
Contact your provincial Department of Agriculture. Each province has its own agriculture department:
Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development: 011 240 2500
KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development: 033 355 9100
Western Cape Department of Agriculture: 021 808 5111
Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform: 040 609 3000
Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development: 015 294 3000
Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs: 013 766 6000
Free State Department of Agriculture and Rural Development: 051 861 8420
Northern Cape Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Nature Conservation and Rural Development: 053 839 7700
North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development: 018 389 5600
For Land Bank relief measures:
Land Bank website: landbank.co.za Call centre: 0860 880 079
If you are unsure which programme triggered the decline:
Contact SASSA on 0800 60 10 11 first and ask which specific programme record caused the farmer_relief flag for the assessed month. Then approach that administrator directly.
Copy and Paste Email Template
Subject: Request for Farmer Relief Programme Status Confirmation — [Your ID Number] — SRD Decline: farmer_relief
Message:
Dear [Administrator Name],
I am writing to request official written confirmation of my participation status in any farmer relief or agricultural support programme administered by your organisation for [Month Year]. My SRD R370 grant application was declined for this month with the reason Farmer Relief (farmer_relief). I believe this may be an error and require official confirmation to support my appeal to ITSAA.
Full name: [Your full name as on your ID] ID number: [Your 13-digit ID number] Month in question: [Month and Year]
Please confirm in writing whether any farmer relief or agricultural support programme record exists under my ID number for [Month Year], whether I was a registered participant or beneficiary during this period, and whether any financial benefit, payment, or input support was provided to me during this month. If no record exists under my ID, please confirm this in writing so I can submit it as evidence with my SRD appeal.
Thank you.
Fast Checks and Fixes Before You Appeal
Confirm the exact month showing farmer_relief on your SRD status portal. Write down the month before doing anything else.
Think through any farmer relief, agricultural support, or rural development programme you have been involved with. This includes completing registration forms during agricultural surveys or beneficiary listing exercises, applying for input voucher schemes, drought or disaster relief, CASP or Ilima/Letsema support, Land Bank restructuring, or any provincial farmer support programme.
Check your bank statement for the assessed month. Look for any deposits from a government agriculture department, Land Bank, or related programme administrator. If no programme payment appears, your bank statement supports your claim that no benefit was received during that period.
Contact SASSA on 0800 60 10 11 if you cannot identify which programme triggered the decline. Ask them specifically which programme record caused the farmer_relief flag for the assessed month.
Once you have identified the programme, contact the relevant administrator using the template above and request written confirmation of your status for the assessed month.
Portal Appeal Option for This Status: no_farmer_relief
Select no_farmer_relief on the SRD appeals portal only when your evidence clearly shows that the farmer relief record does not apply to you for the assessed month or that no benefit was received during that period.
Evidence Checklist for no_farmer_relief
All evidence must be specific to the assessed month. Month-specific wording in your confirmation is more important than the volume of documents.
Official written confirmation from the programme administrator stating that you were not a registered participant or beneficiary during the assessed month, or that no record exists under your ID. The confirmation must reference the specific month and include your full name and ID number. This is your most important document.
Bank statement for the assessed month showing no farmer relief or agricultural support deposit during that period. A full month statement showing all transactions is more persuasive than a partial screenshot.
Certified copy of your South African ID document for written appeal submissions.
Portal screenshot showing the exact month and farmer_relief wording.
SASSA helpline reference number if you contacted SASSA to identify which programme triggered the decline.
Written dispute statement if the record does not belong to you, clearly stating that you did not participate in any farmer relief programme and that the record is incorrectly linked to your ID.
Do not submit a general affidavit stating you do not own a farm or are not a farmer without pairing it with official confirmation from the relevant programme administrator. A general statement alone is unlikely to be sufficient for ITSAA.
How To Submit Your SRD Appeal: no_farmer_relief
Go to the official SRD appeals portal.
Enter your ID number and the phone number registered to your SRD application. Request the OTP and enter it to verify your identity. Select the specific month you are appealing. Each declined month must be appealed separately even if the reason is the same. Select no_farmer_relief as your appeal reason. Upload your supporting documents with dates clearly visible. Accept the declaration and submit. You will receive an SMS confirming your appeal has been received.
Written Appeal for Cases Older Than 90 Days
If the 90-day online window has passed, the appeals portal will block the month you want to appeal. You can still submit a written appeal.
Download the official SASSA appeal form from sassa.gov.za. Complete the form for the specific declined month. Attach certified copies of your supporting documents with dates clearly visible. Submit in person at your nearest SASSA office or send by registered post to your provincial SASSA office. Keep your proof of submission. Include a covering letter explaining which month you are appealing, why the farmer relief record does not apply to you for that month, and why the online deadline was missed.
Written appeals are reviewed by the same ITSAA process and carry the same weight as online submissions.
If Your SRD Appeal Is Declined
If ITSAA declines your appeal the outcome for that specific month is final through the internal process.
Before accepting the outcome, check the following:
Confirm you appealed the correct declined month. Check whether your confirmation letter referenced the specific assessed month rather than just your current status. Check whether your bank statement covered the full assessed month with no programme deposit visible. If your documents were unclear or did not specifically address the assessed month, this is likely why the appeal failed.
If you still disagree after the final internal decision:
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 (PAJA). This is a formal legal process and requires legal assistance to pursue effectively.
Free legal assistance. Legal Aid South Africa and Black Sash both provide free advice to grant applicants. Contact either organisation to understand whether your case has merit before deciding on a court process.
Correcting the record at source. If the farmer relief record is incorrect, contact the relevant administrator and request that the record be corrected or removed. Once corrected, future monthly SRD assessments should no longer be affected. This does not change the outcome for the already-declined month but prevents the problem from recurring.
Tips and Scam Awareness for Farmer Relief Declines
Practical Tips That Improve Outcomes
Identify the specific programme before appealing. Contact SASSA first to find out which programme record triggered the decline, then approach that administrator directly with your confirmation request. Agricultural departments at provincial and national level operate many separate programmes and a targeted request to the correct programme is far more effective than a general query.
Request month-specific wording. Ask the administrator to confirm your status for the specific month and year rather than just your current status. The phrase “not a beneficiary or participant during [Month Year]” is more useful to ITSAA than “not currently registered on any programme.”
If you completed a registration form or beneficiary survey but never received any financial support or input vouchers, ask the administrator to confirm in writing that you are listed as registered only and that no benefit was disbursed to you during the assessed month. Registration alone should not disqualify you but you need documentation to demonstrate this distinction.
If someone registered on a programme using your ID documents without your knowledge, contact the administrator immediately to report the incorrect use of your ID and request that the record be corrected. Obtain written confirmation of the correction and include it in your appeal.
Recheck later months after a correction. Once the programme record is updated, future monthly SRD assessments should improve without requiring you to appeal each month separately.
Scam and Fraud Red Flags
Record removal scams. Do not pay anyone claiming they can remove a farmer relief record or agricultural programme flag from your ID. No private person or service has access to DALRRD, provincial agriculture department, or Land Bank databases. Record corrections must go through the relevant official administrator.
Fake confirmation letters. Do not purchase or use fabricated programme confirmation letters. ITSAA reviewers are experienced at identifying fraudulent documentation and submitting a fake letter is a criminal offence that will result in a permanent ban from the SRD grant.
OTP and PIN theft. Scammers may contact you claiming to be programme administrators or SASSA representatives and ask for your SRD PIN or OTP. Never share these with anyone.
Unofficial portals. Use only srd.sassa.gov.za for your appeal. Any other website offering to process SRD appeals or remove programme records is unofficial.
SRD appeals are completely free.
Summary: What To Do If You Are Declined for Farmer Relief
- Confirm the exact month showing farmer_relief on your SRD status portal.
- Contact SASSA on 0800 60 10 11 to identify which specific programme triggered the decline for the assessed month.
- Contact the relevant programme administrator using the email template above and request written confirmation of your status for the assessed month.
- Check your bank statement for the assessed month to confirm no farmer relief benefit was received during that period.
- Gather your supporting documents with dates clearly visible and specific to the assessed month.
- Submit your appeal at the SRD appeals portal selecting no_farmer_relief within 90 days.
- If beyond 90 days, submit a written appeal with your documents at your nearest SASSA office.
- If your appeal is declined and you believe the decision is wrong, contact Legal Aid South Africa or Black Sash for free advice.
Farmer Relief FAQs
I have never farmed. Why is my SRD being declined for this reason? The most likely causes are an incorrect ID linkage to another person’s programme record, a household member who used your ID during a farmer support registration, or a rejected application that still left a record in the database. Contact SASSA to identify which record triggered the decline and then contact the relevant programme administrator for written confirmation that no valid record should exist under your ID.
I applied for farmer relief but was never paid. Why am I still being declined? A submitted application can still leave a record in the programme database linked to your ID even if you were not approved or never received a payment. Contact the programme administrator and request written confirmation that your application was not approved and that no benefit was received during the assessed month. Include this in your appeal.
I received drought relief in a previous year. Can this still affect my SRD? Yes, if the record from that relief period was not properly closed in the programme database. Contact the relevant provincial or national agriculture department to confirm whether any active record remains under your ID and request written confirmation of the relief end date covering the assessed month.
I completed a farmer registration form during a survey but never received any support. Does registration alone trigger this decline? It can. Registration captures your ID number in the programme database which may be detected in SRD cross-checks. Contact the administrator that conducted the survey and request written confirmation that your record reflects registration only and that no financial benefit or input support was disbursed to you during the assessed month.
Someone used my ID to register for a farming programme without my permission. What do I do? Contact the programme administrator immediately and report the unauthorised use of your ID. Request that the record be corrected and obtain written confirmation of the correction. Include this confirmation, a dispute statement, and your certified ID document in your appeal. You may also wish to report the matter to the South African Police Service.
I live in a rural area and my family uses communal land. Could a household farming registration affect my SRD? If a household farming registration was completed using your personal ID number rather than another household member’s ID, a record may exist under your ID. Contact the relevant provincial agriculture department to check what record exists under your ID and request a correction if the registration was attributed to you in error.
Can later months be approved after the record is corrected? Yes. SRD is assessed monthly. Once the farmer relief record is correctly updated or closed in the programme database, future monthly assessments should no longer be affected. You do not need to appeal each future month separately once the underlying record is fixed.
What if the online portal blocks an older month? Submit a written appeal at your nearest SASSA office with your confirmation letter and supporting documents specific to the month you are challenging. The written process follows the same ITSAA review.
How do I avoid farmer relief record scams? Use only official channels. Never pay anyone to remove a programme record. Report suspicious contact to SASSA on 0800 60 10 11.
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
- Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD)
- DALRRD toll-free: 0800 00 0017
- DALRRD email: info@dalrrd.gov.za
- Land Bank
- Land Bank call centre: 0860 880 079
- 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.
