The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has warned senior citizens of 75 years and older, including people living with disabilities, to be aware of a scam circulating on social media that says they will get an additional R500 payment.

SASSA Mpumalanga’s spokesperson, Senzeni Ngubeni, said that access to social grant-in-aid is not a stand-alone social grant. If an individual is living on a social grant, but not able to look after themselves, they qualify for the grant-in-aid, to pay the person who cares for them on a full-time basis.

ALSO READ: Gold Sassa card still valid for social grant payments, agency confirms

SASSA in Mpumalanga is currently educating the public and their clientele on the criteria to receive the grant-in-aid. The criteria are:

• The applicant must already receive an older persons, disability or war veteran’s grant
• Their care should require regular attendance by another person owing to his/her physical or mental disabilities, and he/she should not receive a state subsidy while in an institution
• The applicant must undergo a medical or functional assessment confirming the disability, provide clinical information or a referral form confirming this disability, and must provide a referral form duly completed by a treatment facility or practitioner if previously rejected on medical grounds.

ALSO READS: Sassa Mpumalanga advises beneficiaries to keep verifying contact details to avoid scammers

Ngobeni urged all SASSA beneficiaries to use the official platforms to access accurate information. “If the beneficiary is not sure about the correct information, contact SASSA on any of its various platforms provided to enquire. Beneficiaries are also warned not to share their personal details and always be vigilant of those posing as SASSA officials, and immediately call the police if they suspect anything wrong. SASSA has provided clientele and beneficiaries with information on how to contact SASSA and on how to apply online, or visit SASSA’s nearest offices,” Ngubeni explained.

The grant-in-aid for care and/or housing is R530 per month, and, as with other grants, paid in cash at a specific pay point on a particular day, electronically deposited into a bank or Postbank account, or an institution acting as administrator of the grant. The grant-in-aid will be paid together with the social grant.

If individuals are unable to collect the cash themselves, they can appoint a procurator at the SASSA office, or give someone power of attorney to collect it on their behalf. Beneficiaries should be very careful not to just trust anyone to provide a power of attorney to.