Check Your SASSA Appeal Status
When you submit an application for a SASSA grant like the Child Support Grant, Disability Grant, etc., your application will go through various statuses during the processing cycle before a final outcome of approval or rejection.
One of the potential application statuses that may appear for your SASSA grant is “Appeal”. What does it mean when your SASSA application shows Appeal status and what should you do?
SASSA Status Check
You may check your SASSA SRD R350 and Other Grants (Child Support, Old Person’s, Foster Child, Disability, Care Dependency, War Veteran and Grant-In-Aid) status online on our website with just one simple click.
How to Check Your SASSA Appeal Status
While your grant application shows Appeal status, you should regularly check exactly where your appeal review stands:
Checking Online
- Go to SASSA and DSD Online Portal
- Enter your ID Number
- Enter your Phone Number
- Click on “Send Pin” to receive an OTP to your Phone Number
- Your Status will be shown after confirmation
Calling SASSA
Phone the SASSA call center or your regional SASSA office and provide your ID number and appeal reference to enquire about the latest status.
Visiting SASSA Office
Go in person to the SASSA office where you submitted the appeal and request an update from the clerk.
Reviewing SMS
Check the mobile number you used to apply for any SMS update messages from SASSA regarding your appeal status.
Following Up
If it has been over 2 months since you appealed, follow up with SASSA for feedback.
Do not just leave your appeal pending without monitoring it. Be proactive in checking in on the status.
Overview of SASSA Application Statuses
When you apply for a SASSA grant, your application progresses through a series of different statuses:
- Pending Verification – Your application is still being processed and verified by SASSA. Wait for the outcome.
- Pending Appeal – Your application was rejected but you have submitted an appeal within the required timeframe. Awaiting appeal outcome.
- Approved – Your application has been approved and granted by SASSA. The grant will start processing.
- Rejected – Your application has been declined by SASSA. Reasons will be provided.
- Closed – Your grant has reached completion and is now closed.
- Terminated – Your existing grant has been stopped and canceled by SASSA.
- Appeal – Your application was rejected and is now under appeal.
The Appeal status means your initial grant application was unsuccessful but you have decided to appeal the rejection.
What Does Appeal Status on SASSA Application Mean?
When your SASSA grant application shows a status of Appeal, it means:
- Your initial grant application was declined by SASSA.
- You lodged a formal appeal within 90 days of receiving a rejection.
- SASSA is currently re-evaluating your grant eligibility based on your appeal motivation and additional supporting documents provided.
- Your grant application is not yet approved but remains under review pending the appeal outcome.
- There are two possible appeal outcomes – approved or declined.
Appeal status means your grant has not been rejected completely yet. The application has moved into an appeals review process.
Reasons Your Grant Application May Be Rejected By SASSA
There are various reasons your initial SASSA grant application may be rejected, prompting you to appeal:
- Insufficient supporting documentation was provided.
- Documents submitted could not be verified as authentic.
- SASSA could not validate details like your identity, residence, income, etc.
- Medical assessments did not conclusively confirm disability.
- Your application form was incomplete or completed incorrectly.
- Income exceeded the means test threshold to qualify.
- Budget constraints meant the grant quota had been reached.
- You already received another social grant.
- Grant eligibility criteria were simply not met.
How Long Does a SASSA Appeal Take?
The entire SASSA appeal process typically takes 2-3 months to be completed:
- 2 weeks for your appeal submission to be received, reviewed, and registered by the SASSA provincial office.
- 1 month for your appeal to be allocated to the Appeals Committee for evaluation.
- 1 month for the Appeals Committee to thoroughly review your appeal, possibly request more information, hold hearings, and take a decision.
- 2 weeks after a decision is taken to notify you of the final appeal outcome via SMS.
The long appeal turnaround time is due to high appeal volumes resulting in backlogs.
Expect that your appeal review and final outcome may take a full 2-3 months in total. Be patient.
SASSA Appeal Outcomes
There are two possible outcomes once your SASSA appeal has been formally reviewed:
1. Appeal Approved
If your appeal is successful, you will receive an SMS from SASSA instructing you to visit your nearest office within 5 days to proceed with finalizing your grant application. Provided you remain compliant, your grant payment will be processed.
2. Appeal Declined
If your appeal is unsuccessful, you will receive an SMS from SASSA informing you of this outcome. It will explain the reasons your appeal was turned down. If your appeal is declined, you will need to wait and reapply for the grant again later completely from the start.
What to Do When Appeal Status Comes Through
Once your appeal status progresses to a final outcome, take the following recommended steps:
If Appeal Approved
- Visit your local SASSA office within 5 days as instructed in outcome SMS.
- Take your ID book and provide biometrics to confirm your identity and proceed with application processing.
- Ensure you remain compliant with grant requirements to continue receiving regular payments.
If Appeal Declined
- Carefully review the reasons provided in the outcome SMS explaining why your appeal was denied.
- You may arrange a follow-up meeting at the SASSA office to discuss the reasons and understand the decision.
- Consider reapplying for the grant from scratch in the future when your circumstances change.
- Look into alternative sources of financial relief in the meantime where possible.
Do not miss the 5-day window to act if your appeal is approved. If declined, politely discuss the reasons with SASSA before reapplying later.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why did my SASSA application get rejected initially?
Some common reasons for initial grant rejection include insufficient documents, inability to validate details, income exceeding thresholds, reaching grant quotas, already receiving a grant, or not meeting eligibility criteria.
Can I still get approved after a rejection?
Yes, by submitting an appeal within 90 days of rejection, SASSA will re-evaluate your application and you still have a chance to get approved.
What should I do when my application shows Appeal status?
When you see the Appeal status, it means your initial application was declined but has now moved to the appeals review stage. Check your appeal progress regularly by calling SASSA, visiting your office, checking online, or reviewing any SMS updates.
How long does an SASSA appeal take to finalize?
The full appeals process can take 2-3 months including submitting an appeal, allocation to the Appeals Committee, review, and final outcome notification. Expect delays due to backlogs. Be patient.
What are the two possible final appeal outcomes?
Your appeal can either be approved – allowing your grant application to proceed, or declined – meaning you’ll have to reapply later. Outcomes are sent via SMS.
If my appeal is approved, what must I do?
If your appeal is successful, visit your nearest SASSA office within 5 working days as instructed in the SMS to proceed with finalizing your grant application process.
If my appeal is declined, what should I do?
If your appeal is unsuccessful, carefully review the reasons in the SMS and discuss them with SASSA. You’ll then have to reapply for the grant from scratch a year later.
Can I appeal again if my first appeal is declined?
Unfortunately, you cannot immediately appeal again if your initial SASSA grant appeal is rejected. You must wait 12 months before reapplying for the grant completely from the start.
How do I check my current appeal status?
To check your appeal status, call SASSA, visit your regional office, check the online portal, or review any SMS updates using the mobile number provided on your application.
For how long will my application show Appeal status?
Your application will show the Appeal status for the full duration of the appeals process, usually around 2-3 months in total until a final outcome of an approved or declined appeal is reached.
Conclusion
Seeing an Appeal status on your SASSA grant application means your initial application was rejected but has now moved to the appeals review stage where SASSA re-evaluates your eligibility. Monitor your appeal closely. If approved, swiftly complete the next steps to proceed with your grant processing. If declined, carefully consider the reasons before deciding to reapply in the future.