SASSA announces delay in May payments for SOME beneficiaries amid verification drive

CapeTalk's Africa Melane (in for John Maytham) is joined by SASSA spokesperson Paseka Lestatsi.

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has announced it's undertaking a verification process for targeted grant beneficiaries.

This means there will be a slight delay in May payments for those beneficiaries only.

The targeted beneficiaries are people who use alternative forms of identification other than the standard 13-digit South African Identity number to receive their social grants.

The verification process affects around 20,000 beneficiaries, says Paseka Lestatsi, the Agency's Head Of Communications.

"We want to emphasize that there's no reason for unnecessary panic - people who are getting their social grants who have a valid ID do NOT have to come forward and make the verification."

Paseka Lestatsi, Head Of Communications - SASSA

Lestatsi explains that when they link the information for some of the affected 'beneficiaries' with the Home Affairs system, they'll find the person does in fact have an ID but continues to get their grant using an alternative method of identification.

"We want these people to come and present themselves to SASSA and say, indeed I am the rightful beneficiary of this grant. We would then be able to process it and pay them, but unfortunately the majority do not want to present themselves when you ask them to come for the verification process."

Paseka Lestatsi, Head Of Communications · SASSA

Once these clients have presented themselves at a SASSA office, a review will be done and then their 13-digit ID numbers will be captured int he system, SASSA says.

"Beneficiaries who fail to come forward during this process may have their social grants suspended, and if they continue not to respond, more drastic actions such as lapsing of their grant will be applied."

SASSA

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