South Africa’s much-remembered ‘R350 grant’ was thrust into the legislative landscape as the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant when the COVID-19 pandemic swept over the country. South African citizens receiving this grant were so desperate they ended up in unlawful skirmishes and petrol-bombing the Mzansi state’s treasure chest. It is used to fill in a gap of income, however temporally, in a sudden loss of employment or any other social relief requirement. Appointments were set for the month of June to continue adjudicating the files of the applicants.
The payment of an SRD R370 grant during January 2026 does not follow the permanent grant’s set-up schedule on the early side of the month; instead, it is somehow dispatched toward the end of the month in all normal cases. According to the official payment schedule, this grant is due to be processed between the 27th and the 31st of January 2026. Within this window period, applicants with applications approved and successfully verified will be paid, although the exact day can differ from individual to individual.
Similar to earlier period Fixed-Date grants, SRD grants are processed in a batch and beneficiaries are encouraged to check regularly their SASSA payment status. SASSA generally sends an SMS to notify the beneficiary of the payment’s release, and one can expect to catch the payment deposited in the selected payment method, be it the bank account or paper voucher or retail site, within a couple of business days post-processing.
How to Check for Your SRD Status
Beneficiaries and applicants may look for SRD grant status online officially on entering their South African ID number and mobile number. This status tells whether the application is approved, pending, or declined, and gives the date when approved for payment. Keeping your details updated will ensure a monthly run of smooth payment arrangements.
Beneficiary Tips for January
In case your SRD payment is not effected within the payment window, verify if all your details are correct and if you are not linked to other accounts in your guardianship or parents’ care. Do check your status-ed online. SASSA undertakes periodic checks early in the month, which means that if they have to carry out further verification, like requiring further documentation or identity verification for individuals, this then might delay your payment.
In general, during January 2026 the perpetuated R370 SRD grant will afford the needed monthly funding for employmentless and financially heartbroken South Africans to help bring them to bear the misery of paying for basic living costs through the start of the year.