Furor over 2025 SASSA grant smartphone access

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The latest 2025 SASSA grant smartphone verification requirements have both political parties and civil society up in arms. Detractors are saying 2025 SASSA grant smartphone necessity is ‘unconscionable’, given that applicants’ monthly bank balance must stay below R624 per month.

In case you missed it, starting on Saturday 7 June 2025, all Social Relief of Distress applicants must complete biometric verification. In turn, the Democratic Alliance (DA) and other groups have rejected this requirement. They say you cannot expect R370 SRD grant applicants to have access to a smartphone every month.

2025 SASSA GRANT SMARTPHONE ACCESS

A ‘digital divide’ is illustrated by this new verification process. Image: File

Of course, the South African Social Security Agency has landed itself on hot water over this issue already in 2025. Specifically, the High Court ruled in January that SASSA could not turn away qualifying applicants simply because of budget constraints. The agency took leave to appeal the decision, and appears to be forging ahead with its exclusionary measures regardless.

As such, 2025 SASSA grant smartphone access is becoming a divisive topic for the Department of Social Development. Government recently created the SASSA Services portal. When not offline, it is a useful tool to manage all aspects of your ‘core’ SASSA grant profile. This includes uploading personal data (ID photos) from your smartphone, free USSD and status checks on the portal.

NO SMART ID, NO GRANT

SASSA SRD applicants must apply for and check their status every month. Image: File

However, last week’s release from the agency insists that you must have a smart ID card and smartphone to access R370-per-month SRD benefits. As a result, those with the old ‘green mamba’ ID books will likely not pass the online verification process, because there is no digital ID photo loaded with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA).

While this has sparked widespread controversy, the agency is defending its tactics, saying biometric verification protects grants from fraud, corruption and identity theft. Unfortunately, the practicality behind such a decision is being described as a growing ‘digital divide.’ By their very definition, SASSA SRD applicants live below the poverty line, and must prove they have less than R624 in their bank account each month to qualify.

FAILURE TO PROCESS APPLICATIONS

A cabinet committee on social welfare has called for SASSA SRD to be extended beyond 2026 for two more years. Image: File

With June 2025 SRD payments set to go off in the last week of this month, customer care units are already receiving complaints from those who have failed the process. As such, DA’s cabinet committee member for social development, Bridget Masango, reiterates that 2025 SASSA grant smartphone requirements exclude vulnerable applicants.

“With the latest (verification) process announced, the DA is concerned it will exclude many more beneficiaries. These are people who do not have access to the internet, data or the necessary smartphone devices and computing capacity. The department and SASSA should do more to provide volunteers to assist those vulnerable people. Instead of doing their all to improve access to grants, SASSA continuously strives to exclude beneficiaries through all manner of obstacles,” Masango said.