ECDs must verify Employment Stimulus Relief Fund applications

The Western Cape Department of Social Development (DSD) is urging all Early Childhood Development programmes and services that applied for the ECD Employment Stimulus Relief Fund, to verify their details that have been captured on Government’s database.

As of the official closing date, 26 February 2021, a total of 3164 applications have been received from the Western Cape. According to the provincial Department of Social Development’s (DSD) database, there are approximately 4282 ECD centres and programmes (both registered and unregistered) in the province.

As part of the ongoing verification process that is completed by the National Department of Social Development, applicants have been sent an SMS to advise them to update their applications. For this reason, all ECD operators who have applied for the grant are urged to ensure that all their details that have been captured are correct, as this will affect the approval and processing of the payments to the applicants.

The National Department of Social Development noted that the following issues were identified during the verification process that includes amongst others:

• incorrect ID numbers and names of applicants (the name and surname of employees and their ID numbers are not the same as stated in their Identity document);
• incorrect banking information (the status of bank verifications can be checked on the Central Supplier Database (CSD) website and;
• incorrect addresses and incorrect classification of being either a funded or unfunded service.

All applicants are urged to log into the https://ecd.gov.za/ecd/login link to ensure that their details are accurate and use the same link to correct or update their details. All updates must be completed by using the reference number they received when they submitted their applications on the GovChat platform.

The National Department of Social Development further notes that it is unable to process any payments if applications have bank and staff verification inaccuracies as a result of wrong information submitted by applicants. Hence, applicants need to verify their details and do the necessary corrections to avoid payment delays.

For assistance with the application, call 0800 089 666, or email ecdstimulus@dgmt.co.za.