Sassa reported that R50 million was paid to deceased beneficiaries in the 2022–23 financial year, while R31 million was spent in 2023–24.
As taxpayers shell out around R250 billion a year for social grants, tens of thousands of beneficiaries have been receiving money from beyond the grave.
Grants paid to deceased beneficiaries
The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) revealed on Wednesday in its audit action plan presentation to parliament’s portfolio committee on social development that grants continued to be paid to deceased beneficiaries in the past three financial years.
According to the report, 32 917 grants were paid to deceased recipients in 2021–22.
The following year, 26 512 grants were paid to deceased beneficiaries. In the 2023–24 financial year, Sassa paid 15 204 deceased beneficiaries.
“This amounts to 74 938 transactions being paid out and not dead beneficiaries, as some beneficiaries could be paid more than one transaction after death,” it said.
In monetary terms, the agency reported that R50 million was paid to the deceased in the 2022–23 financial year, while R31 million was spent in the 2023–24 financial year.
Audit progress
The agency said the matter is part of ongoing corrective measures.
“To develop a new payment ecosystem outside the current Sassa system, as well as ICT to develop rails for bulk recall,” the presentation said.
Sassa admitted that the issue remains a challenge because it relies on the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to provide life status updates.
“Where deaths are not reported timeously and/or status not updated timeously by DHA, Sassa will continue to pay such clients,” the report said.
The agency has also worked with the South African Reserve Bank and Bankserv to intercept deaths that are recorded after payment files have been extracted but before the start of the payment month.
“This process is, however, very manual and cumbersome, and there could still be exceptions where deaths are reported late or through oversight,” Sassa said.
A solution is in the testing phase with a completion date of 30 September 2025.
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Interventions
Sassa reported that it had completed 98% of its audit interventions for the 2023–4 financial year, with only four actions still in progress as of 31 August 2025.
Three of these are expected to be finalised by 30 September, while the one relating to grant fraud “may take more time” due to the criminal processes involved.
The agency confirmed that some findings from 2023–24 have been carried into the 2024–25 audit plan because they remain repeat issues.
In its recommendation, the portfolio committee noted Sassa’s progress on the 2023–24 Audit Action Plan as of 31 August 2025.
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