What Happens When You Don’t Claim Your Grant Money?
Have you ever wondered what happens if you fail to collect your SASSA grant payment? The consequences are more serious than you think. If you do not collect your grant money for three consecutive months, SASSA suspends your account, eventually leading to the cancellation of your grant.
After the initial suspension, SASSA gives you three more months to reinstate your grant. However, if you fail to reinstate your grant within the next 90 days, SASSA cancels it, and any unclaimed funds in your SASSA grant account are forfeited and returned to the National Treasury.
In this article, I will discuss what happens if you fail to collect your SASSA grant on time. I will cover when you need to collect your grant, how long funds stay in your SASSA account, tips to keep your account active and avoid cancellation, the procedure for reinstatement if your account is suspended, and much more.
Reasons for Unclaimed SASSA Grants
You will probably think at first that if someone has applied for the SASSA grant, they are in dire need, and it is impossible for them to miss the grant payment collection. That is absolutely right, but this doesn’t happen intentionally. Most of the time, it happens unintentionally due to various reasons, and most of the time, the grant recipients are unaware of it.
The most common reasons that caused the unclaimed SASSA grants are the following:
Lack of Awareness
Many beneficiaries are unaware of how to check their payment dates using the SASSA status check system. So, when they do not receive notification of their payment dates, they don’t collect their grants, considering that they have not been paid for the current month.
To avoid this, check your SASSA status regularly to ensure you get all your payment dates.
Missed Notifications
Grant payments are sometimes missed because recipients do not receive notifications about payment dates on time or unintentionally miss the notification. This mostly happens to the SASSA SRD grant recipient, as all the other grant payments are paid on fixed payment dates.
To prevent this, you must not miss any notification from SASSA and always keep an eye on the communications from SASSA.
Physical Barriers to Grant Collection Points
Some beneficiaries have difficulty reaching SASSA grant collection points due to geographical distance, a lack of transportation, or physical disabilities. In remote and rural areas, where outreach services are few or infrequent, it becomes difficult for beneficiaries to collect their grants in person.
So, you must change your SASSA payment method to Bank to always receive your grant money directly in your bank account, and you will have much more flexibility in collecting your grant amount with ease from any nearby bank ATM.
These are only a few reasons for unclaimed grants. Many other reasons unintentionally prevent beneficiaries from collecting their grant payments on time.
What Happens If You Do Not Collect Your Grant Payment on Time?
When you do not collect your grant money for 90 consecutive days, i.e., three months, SASSA will lapse your social grant due to inactivity in your account. However, SASSA provides a 3-month window to reinstate your suspended grant application. If you also fail to request reinstatement, SASSA completely closes your account, and all the grant funds in your account are forfeited and returned to the National Treasury.
So, if you want to avoid the suspension of your grant, you must not leave it inactive upto 90 days and should withdraw your grant amount within this period.
After SASSA cancels your grant, and you want to get the grant again, you will need to apply from the start by submitting a new grant application.
What Happens If I Don’t Withdraw the Full Amount?
It is not necessary to withdraw the total grant amount always. SASSA itself recommends its beneficiaries withdraw only the amount they need at the time. The remaining balance stays secure in your bank account.
The only requirement is that you should not keep your account inactive for up to 90 days. You must perform any transaction, even if it is small. You can always keep the remaining amount in your account and withdraw it only when needed.
Is there an Expiry Date for Unused SASSA Funds?
No, there is no expiry date for unused SASSA money. It remains secure in your account until it is used. It only expires if you don’t make any transaction from your account for 90 days. That time, SASSA suspends your account, but your money remains in your account until the next 90 days, and you can collect it by reinstating your SASSA grant.
If you do not reinstate your grant within 90 days, the money will expire and return to the National Treasury.
What I need to do to Avoid Grant Cancellation?
If you want to avoid your grant cancellation, you must collect your grants on time. Here are some tips that help you avoid grant suspension:
By following these practices and collecting your grant on time, you will never face any issues with your grants due to inactivity.
How do I Reinstate My SASSA Grant If It Lapses?
If your grant has lapsed due to inactivity, you can quickly reinstate it within the next 90 days. You can do this online or by visiting the SASSA office in person.
I prefer the online method, as it can be completed in just a few minutes without going anywhere. But you may have different preferences so that I will guide you through both processes, and you can follow whatever is easier for you.
Before starting the reinstatement process, you must have the following essentials:
Reinstating Your Suspended SASSA Grant Online Via SASSA Website
Please follow these steps to reinstate your suspended SASSA grant online:
Your request has been submitted, and you’ll await a decision from SASSA. SASSA takes at least 7 to 14 business days to make a decision on a reinstatement request. However, the time can vary depending on the workload.
Reinstate Your Suspended SASSA Grant By Visiting the SASSA Office
If you prefer to reinstate your grant in person by visiting the SASSA office, then you must first find your nearest SASSA office and confirm their working hours. Most offices typically operate from Monday to Friday, 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
Once you have confirmed your nearest office and their timings, then follow these steps:
That’s it. Now, you will need to wait for SASSA’s decision. They may take 7 to 14 business days to review your reinstatement request.
Checking the Status of Your Unclaimed SRD Grant Payments
If you did not collect your grant for a more extended period and want to check its status to confirm if the funds are available or the grant has been lapsed, you can check its status by following ways:
You can quickly check the status of your unclaimed grant using one of these options. I prefer to use online methods, as they are the easiest and can be done within a minute from the comfort of my home.
Conclusion
In conclusion, failing to claim your SASSA grant can lead to serious consequences, including suspension and eventual cancellation. To avoid grant cancellation, it’s important to collect your grants on time, keep your contact information updated, and reinstate your grant promptly if it lapses.
You can reinstate your grant online or by visiting a SASSA office. It’s important to regularly check the status of your unclaimed grants to prevent forfeiture. By following these steps, you can ensure timely access to your grant funds and avoid disruptions in assistance.
I am unable to draw my money anywhere for two months.