People who qualified for temporary disability grants are required to reapply in terms of the processes followed by the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa).
At the end of December, Sassa suspended 210 778 disability grants nationally and 40 875 temporary disability grants, as the extended period for which they were awarded expired.
In a statement Sassa explained that temporary disability grants that were supposed to lapse from February 2020 had been extended to 31 December in order to cushion affected beneficiaries against the pressures brought about by the national state of disaster and the subsequent lockdown.
Sassa explained that those beneficiaries whose grants had been suspended were requested to report to the nearest Sassa office with a detailed referral report from their doctor, which confirms the impact of the medical condition or disability.
The Sassa staff will take the personal and contact details of applicants and will then contact them to confirm when they can return to the office to complete the process.
If a grant is awarded for a temporary period only, or not approved, the applicant can request that Sassa reconsider the matter within 90 days of being informed of the outcome.
If again unsuccessful, the applicant can choose to appeal to the Independent Appeals Tribunal, again within 90 days, Sassa said.
