SASSA warns against social grant abuse ahead of the festive season
The agency dispensed safety tips to ensure that recipients do not fall victim to crime during this busy period
MBOMBELA – The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) is embarking on a campaign to spread awareness to social grant beneficiaries about wise spending this festive season.
In a statement, Senzeni Ngubeni, the Mpumalanga SASSA spokesman, said, “Beneficiaries must note that the social grant payment is not meant for a luxury life and to pay back loan shark debt, but must be utilised to buy basic needs. Social grant is an intervention for poverty alleviation.”
He stressed that parents and legal guardians of child support grant beneficiaries needed to remember that the social grant was not meant for their needs but for the child’s.
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“The child must have proper clothing and nutritious food.”
Ngubeni provided the following tips for being safe during the festive season:
- Be wary of people loitering around the ATM and ensure that you are not followed.
- Check your balance regularly and report discrepancies to your bank immediately.
- After you have completed your transaction successfully, leave the ATM area immediately. Be cautious of strangers requesting that you return to finalise or close the transaction because they are unable to transact. They may be skimming your card.
- Some fraudsters wait until you have drawn your cash to take advantage.
- Take your time to complete your transaction and secure your card and your cash in your wallet, handbag or pocket before leaving the ATM.
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“We wish all social grants beneficiaries a happy festive season,” he concluded.
Grant beneficiaries who require more information should call the toll-free number: 0800-60-10-11 from 08:00 to 16:00 during weekdays Monday to Friday.
