COVID-19 relief grant can now be withdrawn from Shoprite and Checkers

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Unemployed South Africans who are benefitting from the R350 COVID-19 relief grant can now withdraw the funds from tills at a South African Supermarket Group’s shops.

Customers can collect their grant at any Shoprite, Checkers, Usave or selected OK Foods stores. Grant payments are now available at nearly 1 300 of the group’s stores across the country.

The grant can be used to buy essential groceries and pay bills.

The Group’s General Manager for Financial Services, Jean Olivier.

“To collect this grant, customers simply need to provide their ID which we will scan  and their telephone  number which they used to register for the SASSA grant,” says Olivier.

The grant has been extended to March next year.

Grant amount not enough

In July last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the R350 grant would also be extended to unemployed caregivers who receive child support grants.

Black Sash has been advocating for the urgent implementation of a basic income grant of at least R1 200 for ages 18 to 59 years.

The organisation raised concerns over the amount of the grant.

Spokesperson Esley Philander said: “We are pleased that the grants eligibility criteria have now been expanded to include unemployed caregivers who received the child support grant on behalf of children. It is concerning though that the grant was not increased to at least the food poverty line which is currently R585.”

In the report below from December last year, an expert panel recommends that SA continues paying for COVID-19 relief grant: 

 

3 months ago