SRD R370 Checker
Am I eligible for the R370 Social Relief of Distress grant? Check the income threshold and rules.
Checking your SRD R370 status each month is the quickest way to know whether SASSA has approved you and whether a payment is on its way. The grant is worth R370 a month and runs until 31 March 2027, but your status can change from one month to the next, so it is worth looking regularly. This guide walks you through every way to check, explains what each status word means, shows you when checking actually makes sense, and helps you troubleshoot the login problems that stop so many people from seeing their result.
Where to check your SRD status
There is only one official place to check the Social Relief of Distress grant online, and that is the SASSA SRD portal at srd.sassa.gov.za. Be careful of copycat websites and social media pages that ask for your details or a fee. SASSA never charges you to apply for or check a grant, and no legitimate SASSA channel will ever ask you to pay to "unlock" or "speed up" a result.
To check on the portal, open the site, look for the option to check your application status, enter the South African ID number you applied with, and enter the cellphone number linked to your application. The system then shows your status for recent months, usually laid out month by month so you can see how each one was decided. If your number has changed, read our guide on how to change your phone number for SASSA SRD first, because you need access to that phone to receive the one-time PIN.
You can also try our own SRD R370 status check helper, which walks you through the same official steps and points you to the right place. We are an independent information site and are not part of SASSA.
What you need before you start
Before you open the portal, have three things ready so the check goes smoothly. First, the exact 13-digit South African ID number you used when you applied. Second, the cellphone number that is linked to that application, with the phone in your hand so you can read an incoming SMS. Third, a stable internet connection, because the portal can time out on a weak signal and make you start again. Gathering these first turns a five-minute frustration into a thirty-second check.
Checking by WhatsApp
If you would rather not use the website, SASSA offers a WhatsApp line on 082 046 8553. Save the number to your contacts, send a greeting such as "Hi", and follow the menu prompts to check your status. It is handy when data is tight or the portal is busy, though the website usually shows the most detail, including the specific reason behind a declined month. WhatsApp is also useful as a quick sanity check when you simply want to confirm whether a month was approved without logging in fully.
What each status word means
The status you see is a single word or short phrase, and each one means something specific. Reading it correctly saves you from panicking over a status that is perfectly normal.
- Pending means SASSA is still verifying your application against government databases. This is normal, especially early in the month, and does not mean anything is wrong.
- Approved means you qualify for that month and a payment is being prepared. You will still need a valid payment method on file.
- Declined means you did not qualify for that month. There is always a reason attached, which you can read about in our guide to SRD declined reasons and how to fix them.
- Referred or a similar note means your case needs extra checking. See what SASSA referred and pending status means.
Tip: A decline in one month does not cancel your application. SASSA re-checks eligibility every month, so your status can move from declined back to approved without you doing anything.
Reading a month-by-month history
The portal often shows several recent months at once, and it is common to see a mix, such as approved, then declined, then pending. This mixed picture confuses people, but it simply reflects that each month is judged on its own facts, largely on the income and bank activity linked to your ID for that month. If you see a declined month sitting next to approved ones, focus on the reason for that single month rather than assuming your whole application has failed. Our reapply and reconfirm guide explains why the monthly rhythm produces this pattern.
Approved but no payment yet
An approved status is good news, but the money only reaches you once your banking or collection details are correct and the pay run for the month reaches your name. If you are approved but nothing has arrived, confirm your details are current and read our guide on SRD R370 payment dates for 2026. A frequent cause is a bank account that is not in your own name, which we cover in changing your SRD banking details.
When to check your status
Checking every single day rarely helps and can be stressful. A better rhythm is to check once early in the month to see whether the new month has been approved, and again around the middle of the month when payments begin. SRD payments are staggered across the second half of the month, so your date will not be the same as everyone else's, and refreshing the page every hour will not make the money arrive faster.
If your status still shows pending after the month is well under way, keep checking every few days rather than constantly. Verification against databases such as UIF and the deceased register can take time, and the status updates on its own once complete. Patience here is genuinely the right strategy, because there is no button that forces the verification to finish sooner.
A simple monthly routine
Many people find it easiest to tie the check to a fixed habit, such as the first weekend of the month for the approval check and a mid-month weekend for the payment check. Setting a reminder on your phone means you never miss a reconfirmation prompt, which is one of the quiet reasons payments stall. If a month is approved and paid without any action needed from you, the routine costs nothing. If a month needs attention, the routine catches it early while there is still time to fix banking details or lodge an appeal within the 90-day window.
If you cannot log in or see your status
Login problems are usually down to the cellphone number or ID number. Make sure you are using the exact ID you applied with, with no transposed digits. If the one-time PIN never arrives, the number on file may be old, wrong, or registered to someone else. Our guide on changing your SRD banking details covers the same OTP verification steps that trip people up here, and our phone number guide explains how to update the number itself.
Work through these common fixes in order:
- Confirm you are on the real site, srd.sassa.gov.za, and not a lookalike.
- Re-enter your ID number slowly and check every digit.
- If no OTP arrives, wait a few minutes and request it again before assuming failure.
- Check your phone has signal and that your SMS inbox is not full.
- If the number on file is one you no longer control, follow the phone-number update steps or contact SASSA directly.
If the portal itself is down, wait an hour and try again, or use the WhatsApp line. For anything the portal cannot solve, phone the SASSA toll-free line on 0800 60 10 11 or see our full list of SASSA contact details.
Avoiding scams while you check
Because so many people check their status under financial pressure, scammers target this exact moment. Treat any message promising to "approve" your grant for a fee as fraud. SASSA will never phone to ask for your OTP, your banking PIN, or a payment. If in doubt, close the message, go directly to the official portal yourself, and verify anything worrying by phoning the toll-free line. Keeping your OTP private is the single most important habit, because that PIN is the key to your whole application.
Frequently asked questions
How often does my SRD status update?
SASSA re-checks eligibility every month, so your status can change month to month. Within a single month the status can also move from pending to approved or declined as verification finishes. Checking once early and once mid-month is usually enough, and checking more often will not change the result.
Is it safe to check my status on other websites?
No. Only srd.sassa.gov.za and the WhatsApp line on 082 046 8553 are official. Other sites may be scams designed to steal your ID number or charge a fee. SASSA never asks for payment to check a grant.
My status says approved but I have not been paid. What now?
First confirm your banking or collection details are correct, then remember that SRD payments are spread across the second half of the month. If your payment date has passed with nothing received, read our guide on late or missing SASSA payments and contact SASSA on 0800 60 10 11.
Why does my status say pending for so long?
Pending means the verification against government databases has not finished. This can take longer when a database is slow to respond or when your case is referred for extra checking. As long as the month is not declined, keep checking every few days rather than reapplying, because a fresh application will not speed things up.
Can I check the status for someone else, like a family member?
You can help them check, but you need their ID number and access to the cellphone number linked to their application to receive the OTP. Never move their number to your own phone without their knowledge, and never share their OTP with anyone. The safest approach is to sit with them while they check on their own device.
What should I do if every month shows declined?
Read the specific reason on each month, because the fix depends on it. Income-related declines are covered in our R624 income threshold guide, while identity problems are covered in our fix identity verification failed guide. Correct the underlying cause first, then appeal any month you believe was wrongly declined within its 90-day window.