18 000 WC clients negatively impacted by SASSA's January non payment of social grant
The Western Cape’s Social Development MEC, Sharna Fernandez, has expressed her dismay towards South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) beneficiaries not receiving their January social grant.
COURTESY: SASSAAccording to Fernandez, her department was inundated with various
complaints from SASSA grant beneficiaries, during the festive season
These include:
- Some or all
the monies have not been available from the Older Persons Grant when
withdrawing at a retailer and recourse has been impossible with no results.
- Applications
for the Old Age Grant is an arduous process with no feedback given from SASSA.
- Beneficiaries
receive little to no communication when trying to update Social Relief of
Distress grants applications.
- Beneficiaries
complained about delays in transferring grant payouts from retailers or the
Post Office to their bank accounts. In one case a woman told us she changed her
details in September 2023, yet she only received her grant payment in January
2024.
Fernandez says her hands are tied as SASSA is a national
agency of the South African government.
‘’Thus, when our office receives enquiries or complaints,
our only course of action is to refer the matter directly to SASSA’s regional
staff so that they may look into the matter. However, there is only one person
in SASSA’s Western Cape office dealing with all these complaints. This is
absurd and a demonstration of gross neglect towards our most vulnerable
citizens, when you consider that there are at least 390 000 grant beneficiaries
in this province,’’ said Sharna Fernandez, Western Cape’s Social Development
MEC.
Fernandez also criticised the national department’s lack of
commination.
‘’My concern is that this information has not been widely
communicated with the public, and more importantly with the beneficiaries for
whom grants are so crucial to their survival. Effective communication is key to
ensuring that issues like “incorrect banking details” are prevented, as we have
informed SASSA in multiple meetings last year. The public deserves
transparency. They deserve better than what the national government is
currently serving.’’
‘’I am angry at the silence and continued lack of
engagement that I and the residents of the Western Cape have received from
national Minister Lindiwe Zulu. I urge her and the department to give clear,
honest answers to beneficiaries and to open up communication channels between
the national department and the provinces who try and help these deeply
distressed citizens. I implore South Africans to turn their frustrations over a
tattered social grant system to Minister Zulu. Make your voices heard by
national government because you deserve better,’’ said Fernandez.
According to SASSA Western Cape, 18 000 clients were
negatively impacted and that challenges with the verification process have
since been resolved.
‘’Some of the Old Age beneficiaries were already reinstated
for payment in January 2024 and The Child Support Grant beneficiaries will be
reinstated for payment in February 2024,’’ said SASSA in a reply to Western Cape
Social Development Department.
Done by: Mitchum George
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