More than 200 000 will experience Sassa grant delays — here’s why

The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has confirmed that more than 200 000 social grant beneficiaries are expected to experience delays in receiving their monthly grants.

Sassa is expected to disburse June payments to permanent grant beneficiaries next week.

Double payments

The agency said that in collaboration with registered Credit Bureaus, it has identified approximately 210 000 social grant beneficiaries who appear to be receiving income that was not truthfully disclosed to the Agency.

Sassa spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi, in accordance with the Social Assistance Act and its regulations, beneficiaries are legally required to fully disclose all sources of income during their initial application.

Warning: Non-compliance breaches the Act

Letsatsi said recipients are also obligated to inform Sassa of any changes to their financial circumstances after their application has been approved.

“Failure to comply with these requirements constitutes a violation of the Act and may result in corrective action.

“As part of this initiative, social grant payments for the affected beneficiaries will be delayed in the June 2025 payment cycle. These individuals are required to present themselves at their nearest Sassa local offices for a grant review within 30 days from this notice date, in line with Regulation 30 of the Social Assistance Act,” Letsatsi said.

ALSO READ: 11 accused in Sassa R260 million fraud case to remain behind bars

Grant suspension

Letsatsi added that beneficiaries who fail to comply with this process risk having their grants suspended.

“Continued non-compliance may lead to the permanent lapsing of their grants. Sassa encourages all beneficiaries to disclose any alternative sources of income and to report any additional bank accounts not previously declared.

“Sassa reiterates its zero-tolerance stance on fraud, and should there be evidence of any officials colluding with beneficiaries to defraud the system, immediate disciplinary and legal action will be taken to safeguard the integrity of the Agency and prevent financial losses,” Letsatsi said.

Letsatsi urged beneficiaries still using the green bar-coded ID book to replace it with the smart ID card, due to the increased risk of fraud associated with the older ID format.

Changes in financial circumstances

Letsatsi said the initiative is aimed at ensuring that beneficiaries confirm any changes in the financial circumstances of the beneficiaries and for them to update their personal details.

“It also seeks to address potential inclusion errors in the current social security system. A beneficiary may have qualified for a grant at the time of application, but improved material conditions over time may render them ineligible”.

Sassa

Sassa disburses more than 19 million permanent grant payments, including the Older Persons pension grant, Disability grant, War Veterans grant, Care Dependency grant, Foster Child grant, Child Support grant, Child Support grant Top-Up and Grant-in-aid.

Here are the Sassa payment dates for June 2025

• Older Persons Grant: Tuesday, 3 June

• Disability Grant: Wednesday, 4 June

• Children’s grants: Thursday, 5 June

ALSO READ: Sassa millions ‘heist’ in Rosebank underground car park