Unlawful deduction of Sassa grants flagged

Following several complaints of unlawful deductions from social grants, affected beneficiaries are urged to visit their local South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) branches for the matter to be investigated.

This as many beneficiaries have been reporting that their grant money is consistently being deducted by various insurance companies to which they have not signed up.

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The agency’s CEO, Themba Matlou, has, however, assured that Sassa has no authority to make any deductions on social grants without the consent of the beneficiaries.

“We have utmost respect for our beneficiaries and the Act governing social assistance in the country, and we will never do anything to short-change our clients.

“Your money is your money, if you qualify for a grant, the money belongs to you. As Sassa, we have no right nor authority to dictate how you utilise it,” said Matlou.

“Not at any point will Sassa work with funeral schemes and insurance companies as it is not legislated,” he said.

The agency said it allows only one deduction per month not exceeding 10% of the value of the beneficiary’s social grant for a funeral policy issued by an insurer registered under the Long-term Insurance Act, 1998 (Act No. 52 of 1998) to be made directly from a social grant.

“The regulation says the beneficiary of the social grant must consent to such deduction by electronic communication or any other means of communication and has submitted such consent by electronic communication or any other means of communication to the agency,” said the Sassa CEO.

Matlou, however, emphasised that funeral deductions are not permitted from child-related grants, such as the Child Support Grant, Care Dependency Grant or Foster Child Grant.

“Similarly, temporary disability grants are excluded from funeral deductions altogether,” he added.

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