After Curvin Kok’s doctor told him that he was unfit for work due his mental health, epilepsy and diabetes, his ordeal to get a Sassa (South African Social Security Agency) disability grant took over his life.
Kok who has also been diagnosed with depression and bipolar said he has been taking his medication for 18 years and is struggling to make ends meets, especially because he takes strong medication.
Click below for factors which may result in Sassa grants lapsing.
“When you drink that kind of medication, you must eat something,” Kok said.
He said after he was laid off his work, he only survives by doing odd jobs such as washing people’s cars,
Sometimes I can clean someone’s yard,” he adds.
He said at first, after seeing that he was unfit to do his work, he said his doctor told him that he had to go to Sassa to get his disability grant. However he said this was disputed, and he has since been sent from pillar by Sassa.
Kok said this started when the Sassa doctor told him that he could not give him a disabilty grant because they said I was fit to work.
“He said he did not see any reason why the doctor booked me off from work, this was despite being epileptic and I was a Psychiatric patient,
“They said the money they had was only for people who really needed it.I went back to my doctor, and explained what the situation was, he said it was incorrect what they were doing.”
Kok said only following telling predicament in the Herald, in 2017, Sassa called him and offered him a food valued at R 7 80.
All I could buy with the voucher was buy a few things such as toilteries and food and was that the money could only used at once,” he said.
Kok also said that he had been told that he could only come back after three to six months for another application.
Without any means, Kok said everyday is a struggle, especially being someone without any means to get around.
“I only survive by doing these odd jobs, but sometimes it is really hard to just go through a normal day because I do not have any other way of putting bread on the table,” Kok added.
