Emergency Social Relief of Distress · national programme

SASSA emergency food parcel

SASSA emergency food parcel: Short-term food, voucher or possible cash help for a household in severe immediate need; this is separate from the monthly R370 SRD grant.

Who may qualify

Check these things first

This is a simple first check. SASSA, UIF or your municipality will check your application and make the final decision.

    • Reason urgent relief may be needed: waiting for a child grant, a crisis or disaster, no other grant and desperate need, unable to work for under six months because of illness or disability, unable to get child maintenance, the household breadwinner died, the household breadwinner is imprisoned for under six months, affected by a disaster outside a declared disaster area
    • The government office must confirm the application

What you may need

Documents to get ready

Identity document and children’s birth certificates, or the official alternatives listed by SASSAThe official page describes affidavits and alternative records when an identity document or birth certificate is unavailable.

Evidence of the emergency, lack of support, grant application, maintenance effort or short-term medical condition that appliesOnly take the evidence relevant to the actual situation. SASSA decides whether it is enough.

Keep sensitive documents private. This website does not need your ID, statements or banking confirmation for the anonymous scan.

Avoid preventable delays

Get the application ready.

  1. Use names and identity details exactly as Home Affairs records them.
  2. List every source of income and financial support honestly, even when it is irregular or comes from another bank account.
  3. Collect the programme's documents and complete the SASSA affidavit for that grant where requested.
  4. Keep the application receipt, reference number, submitted-document list and any SMS or email.
Explain facts, not a copied story.

Who is applying, and what is their relationship to the child or person needing support? What changed, and on what date did it change?

See common problems, truthful wording and appeal steps