Government Payroll Registered (gov_payroll_registered) — What It Means, How to Fix It and How to Appeal (not_gov_payroll_registered)
At a Glance: What To Do First
Confirm the exact month showing gov_payroll_registered on your SRD status portal. Check whether you were employed on a government payroll during that specific month. If you were, the decline is correct and you do not qualify for SRD for that period. If you were not employed by government during that month, or the record is incorrectly linked to your ID, you have grounds to appeal using not_gov_payroll_registered. Month-specific proof of non-employment is what decides most appeals for this decline reason.
What Government Payroll Registered Means on the SRD Portal
When your SRD application shows Government Payroll Registered, the automated SRD check detected a government payroll employment record linked to your ID for the assessed month. Government employment income disqualifies you from SRD because it indicates you have an income source above the R624 monthly threshold.
The wording appears differently depending on which portal you are using:
SRD status portal (srd.sassa.gov.za/sc19/status): Government Payroll Registered
SRD appeals portal (srd.sassa.gov.za/appeals/appeal): gov_payroll_registered
Your appeal reason on the appeals portal: not_gov_payroll_registered
If you were genuinely employed on a government payroll during the assessed month, the decline is correct and an appeal is unlikely to succeed for that period. If you left government employment before the assessed month, were never employed by government, or the record is incorrectly linked to your ID, you have a valid basis to appeal.
Which Government Employers Can Trigger This Decline
Any employment recorded on a government payroll system can trigger this decline. This includes national government departments, provincial government departments, municipalities and local government, public entities and state-owned companies, public schools and government hospitals, the South African National Defence Force, the South African Police Service, and any other institution that processes salaries through a government payroll system.
This also includes short-term, contract, and casual work processed through a government payroll. Even one month of contract work recorded on a government payroll system can trigger this decline for that specific month.
Common Causes Behind This SRD Decline
Active government employment during the assessed month. You were employed and paid through a government payroll during the month in question. The decline is correct.
Termination not updated in the payroll system. When an employee resigns or is dismissed, the HR or payroll department is responsible for updating the system. Many government departments process these updates late, leaving former employees appearing as active on the payroll for weeks or months after their employment ended.
Short-term or contract work. A fixed-term contract or casual work appointment processed through a government payroll triggers this decline for any month covered by the appointment, even if the work was brief or already completed.
Incorrect ID linkage. Another person’s payroll record is linked to your ID due to an administrative error during employment processing. This is less common but does occur, particularly where ID numbers were incorrectly captured during appointment paperwork.
Learnerships or internships paid through government. Some government learnerships and internships are processed through payroll systems. If you participated in a government-funded learnership or internship, it may have been captured as a payroll record even if the stipend was modest.
Previous employment not closed in the system. A government department you worked for years ago may still have an open record if your exit was not properly processed at the time.
Government Payroll Follow-Up: Get Month-Specific Proof
Before appealing, contact your former employer directly to obtain written confirmation of your employment status for the specific assessed month. A general letter of service is not sufficient. The letter must reference your specific end date and confirm whether you were on the payroll and receiving a salary during the assessed month.
What To Ask Your Employer For
Ask HR or the payroll department to confirm in writing your last day of employment, your last salary payment date, and whether any payroll record remained active under your ID after your departure. Ask them to confirm specifically whether you were registered on the government payroll system during the assessed month. Request the letter on official letterhead with a date, reference number, and the contact details of the HR official who signed it.
Copy and Paste Email Template
Subject: Request for Employment Confirmation Letter — [Your ID Number] — SRD Decline: gov_payroll_registered
Message:
Dear HR Department,
I am writing to request an official letter confirming my employment status for [Month Year]. My SRD R370 grant application was declined for this month with the reason Government Payroll Registered (gov_payroll_registered). 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] Employment end date: [Your last day of employment] Month in question: [Month and Year]
Please confirm in writing whether I was registered on the government payroll system during [Month Year] and whether any salary payment was made to me during this period. I require this confirmation on official letterhead with a date and reference number for submission as supporting evidence with my SRD appeal.
Thank you.
If you are unsure which department to contact, start with the HR or payroll department of your most recent government employer. If your former employer no longer exists or has been restructured, contact the Department of Public Service and Administration at dpsa.gov.za for assistance tracing your employment record.
Fast Checks and Fixes Before You Appeal
Confirm the exact month showing gov_payroll_registered on your SRD status portal. Write down the month precisely before doing anything else.
Check your employment history for that specific month. Were you on a government payroll, including contract or short-term work? If yes, the decline is correct.
Check your bank statement for the assessed month. Look for any salary deposits from a government employer. If none appear, your bank statement supports your claim that you were not being paid during that month.
If you left government employment before the assessed month, contact your former employer using the template above and request written confirmation of your termination date and payroll status.
If you were never employed by government, prepare a written dispute statement and gather any documentation that supports your position.
Only proceed to appeal once you have documentation that clearly addresses your payroll status for the assessed month.
Portal Appeal Option for This Status: not_gov_payroll_registered
Select not_gov_payroll_registered on the SRD appeals portal only when your evidence clearly shows that the government payroll record does not apply to you for the assessed month.
Evidence Checklist for not_gov_payroll_registered
All evidence must be specific to the assessed month. Documents covering a different period or without clear dates significantly weaken your appeal.
Official HR or termination letter from your former government employer confirming your last day of employment, your last salary payment date, and whether you were on the payroll during the assessed month. This is your most important document and should be on official letterhead with a date and contact details.
Bank statement for the assessed month showing no government salary deposit during that period. A full month statement 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 gov_payroll_registered wording.
Reference number from the SASSA helpline if you reported the incorrect record by phone.
Dispute statement if the record is not yours, clearly stating that you were never employed by the government employer in question and that the payroll record is incorrectly linked to your ID.
Do not upload documents unrelated to the assessed month. ITSAA focuses its review on whether the payroll record applied to the specific month being disputed.
How To Submit Your SRD Appeal: not_gov_payroll_registered
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 across multiple months. Select not_gov_payroll_registered 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 record is incorrect, and why the online deadline was missed.
Written appeals are reviewed by the same ITSAA process and carry the same weight as online submissions. The key requirement is that your evidence still matches the specific assessed month you are challenging.
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. Confirm the month still shows gov_payroll_registered. Check whether your evidence clearly showed you were not on a government payroll during that specific month. If your letter referenced a different period or your bank statement was for the wrong 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 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.
Tips and Scam Awareness for Government Payroll Registered Declines
Practical Tips That Improve Outcomes
Make your termination date the centre of your evidence. ITSAA needs to see clearly that your employment ended before the assessed month. A letter that lists your start date but is vague about your end date is not sufficient.
If you did short-term contract work, clarify in your dispute statement exactly when the contract ended and confirm that no payments were made to you during the assessed month.
Request a full month bank statement rather than a partial screenshot. A complete statement showing all transactions for the assessed month is harder to dispute than a cropped image.
If your former employer is slow to respond, follow up in writing and keep a record of your follow-up attempts. If you can show ITSAA that you made reasonable efforts to obtain the documentation, this can support your appeal even if the letter arrives after you submit.
Scam and Fraud Red Flags
Payroll removal scams. Do not pay anyone claiming they can delete your payroll record or remove you from a government database. No private person or service has access to government payroll systems. This is a common scam targeting people who have received this decline reason.
Fake HR letters. Do not purchase official-looking employer letters from anyone. ITSAA reviewers are trained to identify fraudulent documentation and submitting a fake letter can result in a permanent ban from the SRD grant.
OTP and PIN theft. Scammers may contact you claiming to help with your appeal and ask for your SRD PIN or OTP. Never share these with anyone.
Unofficial portals. Use only the official SRD portal at srd.sassa.gov.za. Any other website claiming to process SRD appeals is unofficial.
SRD appeals are completely free. Any service charging a fee to submit your appeal on your behalf is a scam.
Summary: What To Do If You Are Declined for Government Payroll Registered
- Confirm the exact month showing gov_payroll_registered on your SRD status portal.
- Check your employment history and bank statement for that specific month to determine whether the record is correct.
- Contact your former government employer using the email template above and request written confirmation of your termination date and payroll status for the assessed month.
- Gather your supporting documents with dates clearly visible and specific to the assessed month.
- Submit your appeal at the SRD appeals portal selecting not_gov_payroll_registered 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.
Government Payroll Registered FAQs
I left a government job months ago. Why is my SRD still being declined? Government payroll records can take weeks or months to update after an employee leaves. A termination letter from your former employer confirming your end date and showing it falls before the assessed month is usually strong evidence for your appeal.
Does short-term or contract government work trigger this decline? Yes. Any work processed through a government payroll system, including fixed-term contracts, casual appointments, and learnerships, can trigger this decline for the month the work was recorded.
I was on a government learnership or internship. Does this count as payroll? It depends on how the stipend was processed. If your learnership or internship stipend was paid through a government payroll system, it may have been captured as a payroll record. Contact the institution that administered the learnership to confirm whether your stipend was processed through a government payroll and request written confirmation of the start and end dates.
What if I was never employed by government? This may be an incorrect record linked to your ID by mistake. Contact SASSA on 0800 60 10 11 to report the incorrect linkage and request written confirmation. Include this confirmation and a dispute statement in your appeal.
What if the letter from my employer takes time to arrive? Submit your appeal before the 90-day deadline even if you are still waiting for the letter. You can note in your submission that supporting documentation is being obtained. Follow up with ITSAA once the letter arrives. However, submitting complete evidence from the start gives your appeal the best chance of success.
Can I appeal multiple months at once? No. Each declined month must be appealed separately and requires its own month-specific evidence. A letter confirming your termination date can be used across multiple months if the dates support each appeal, but each month must be submitted as a separate appeal on the portal.
What if an older month is blocked on the portal? Submit a written appeal at your nearest SASSA office with evidence specific to the month you are challenging. The written process follows the same ITSAA review.
How do I avoid payroll removal scams? Use only official SASSA channels. Never pay anyone to remove a payroll 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 Public Service and Administration
- 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.
