Delay expected in Sassa grant payments for May — These are the beneficiaries affected

The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has announced a slight delay in the May payment schedule for certain beneficiaries.

This is due to the verification campaign aimed at tightening the integrity of the country’s social grant system.

The delay affects targeted beneficiaries who use alternative forms of identification instead of the standard 13-digit South African ID number to receive their grants.

According to a statement issued by the agency on Wednesday, these beneficiaries are required to visit Sassa offices to verify their personal information and ensure the accuracy of their records.

“This initiative is aimed at ensuring that our beneficiaries can confirm any changes in their financial circumstances and update their personal details,” the statement read.

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ID number discrepancies flagged

Sassa revealed that consultations with the Department of Home Affairs uncovered cases where some beneficiaries have valid 13-digit IDs registered with Home Affairs, but these are not reflected in Sassa’s system.

As part of the new verification drive, beneficiaries must present themselves in person to have their ID numbers reviewed and properly recorded.

“Once these clients have presented themselves at various Sassa offices, a review will be done and then their 13-digit ID numbers will be captured in the system,” Sassa stated.

The agency warned that beneficiaries who fail to respond to the verification call may face grant suspension. Prolonged non-compliance could result in the complete lapsing of their grants.

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Crackdown on fraud

In addition to ID verification, Sassa is targeting recipients flagged through its bulk means test process.

These are individuals suspected of having undisclosed income flowing into bank accounts that were not reported during the application process.

“Social grants are subject to reviews at any time when there are reasons to believe that the beneficiary’s circumstances have changed,” the agency reminded recipients.

Sassa spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi said the agency is intensifying its vetting measures in the 2025/2026 financial year.

“We will regularly identify clients on a monthly basis so that they come to our offices to verify their personal details,” Letsatsi said.

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Internal corruption under scrutiny

Beyond scrutinising beneficiaries, Sassa also aims to investigate potential internal misconduct.

Letsatsi confirmed that the agency is probing whether some officials may be colluding with external parties to manipulate the system and siphon off public funds.

“This process will also look inwardly and identify any possible collusion by Sassa officials, working in cahoots with the outside world to cheat the system and effectively steal grant money meant for the poor,” he said.

Sassa has positioned the verification drive to ensure that only qualifying South Africans benefit from the social grant system.

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