SASSA working with SARS, credit administrators to quash abuse of social grants

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) said it is working with institutions such as South African Revenue Service (SARS) and the credit bureaus to crack down on social grant abuse in the country.

On Thursday, SASSA CEO Themba Matlou briefed the media on initiatives the agency has taken to improve social grants systems.

Matlou revealed that thousands of beneficiaries have been caught in the agency’s latest verification drive.

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He said by strengthening data-sharing partnerships with these institutions, it is now better equipped to detect ineligible recipients.

Matlou said round 70,000 grants have already been suspended after beneficiaries failed to comply with the review process.

He added that investigations also uncovered cases where some individuals deliberately misrepresented their employment status to unlawfully access social grants.

"Those people who want to get loans, they must have proof that they are going to be able to pay back the money. That's why they will then disclose that I do have another form of income. So that's why when we get the data from those institutions, it contradicts what SASSA has."