Confusion and hardship as Sassa halts July payments for more pensioners

ON JULY 2, more pensioners woke up to empty bank accounts after the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) suspended their grants, citing undisclosed additional income.

They claimed that there had been no prior notification from Sassa.

Last week, the POST reported on the grants of pensioners being stopped in June, leaving them confused and distressed as they navigated the review process.

Many said they were battling to make ends meet without their monthly pension.

A 64-year-old Chatsworth woman, who declined to be named, said she was left in tears after she was told that the reason for her grant being stopped was due to her receiving an additional income. 

“I asked the workers at the Sassa office where this so-called additional income is? If that was true, then why am I still suffering to buy food or pay my bills? 

The woman said she and her 69-year-old husband collected the older persons grant.

“Every month, my husband and I go to the local shopping centre and withdraw our money at the ATM. We then pay our bills and buy some groceries. It is costly to travel, so we try to do everything on the same day. 

“However, of recent I have not been too well and cannot stand for long periods of time. This month my husband stood at the ATM while I sat inside the bank and waited. A few minutes later, he came to me and said there was no money in my account. I immediately called a community leader. He said there may have been a delay and it would reflect the next day. We checked again on the Friday, but there was still nothing,” she said.

The woman said she and her husband went to the Sassa office on July 4.

“We saw videos circulating on WhatsApp about the pensioner’s grants being stopped because they had other income. But I knew I was not receiving any money from anyone and was not worries. Cutting my grant was definitely a mistake. When we went to the Sassa office, my husband took my three month bank statement. 

“When we arrived, we were shocked to see how many elderly people were waiting in the queue because their grants had been stopped. We were made to sit for hours. When it was finally our turn, I explained that I did not receive my grant and gave the man my details. He just gave me a form and said come back on July 17. 

“My husband asked him what this was about. The worker then asked who my husband was. When he said he was my husband, the worker told him, he must also  bring his bank statements, marriage certificate, and our house rates paper. Before we could ask him what was happening, he called the next person,” she said. 

The woman said according to the letter, it stated “recent checks conducted with registered credit bureaus detected you may have not disclosed your additional income”. 

“I have now become paranoid as to who these registered credit bureaus are. I also want to know who the additional income is from, as I need it. The only time I have had any money deposited into my account was from my brother in January this year. I had suffered a heart attack and had just come out of hospital. 

“While speaking to my sister-in-law over the phone, I said I felt like eating broad bean curry. Some food items are very expensive, and we can’t afford to buy them. With the income we receive, we only buy the necessities. She asked me for my banking details as they wanted to send me some money for food. The only account I have is the one in which I receive my grant. They sent me R500 to buy some food. How does a one-time deposit become additional income?,” she asked.

The woman added that she also had a water bill which was in arrears of over R60 000. 

“My husband and I were in Johannesburg visiting our daughter during December last year. When we returned in January, we received an R8 500 bill. We have been struggling to pay it off, and it has just grown. If we had additional income, there would be no need for us to apply for a grant. I just cry every day thinking how we are going to survive if my grant is permanently stopped. What can we do with only my husband's grant which is just over R2 000?”

The woman said to “add salt to their wound”, she received an SMS that she was due for a social grant review on July 9. 

“A week later, after stopping my grant, they decided to inform me of the review. Why was this not done prior so I could have taken all of my documents to show them that I have no other income? Sadly, this is the kind of treatment that we as citizens, many who paid their taxes for years before retiring, now have to endure,” she said. 

A 65-year-old man from Merebank, said he also did not receive his grant in July. 

“When I went to the Sassa office, they said my grant was stopped because I was receiving money. I told them that my child, who lives in Johannesburg, deposited money into my account, which was R2 000, so that I could pay my rent which was R 1 500.

"I also need to buy prepaid electricity and food, and keep money for transport if I need to go to the hospital or the supermarket. But I was told that I must come back with a three month bank statement and some other documents. I am now waiting to see if I will receive my grant before the next payment date.

“We also cannot rely solely on our children to take care of us because we are living in tough times. Our children are also working hard to put a roof over their own heads and food on their tables. They help as much as they can. Nowadays, you will need at least R40 to get a loaf of bread and litre of milk. Are we expected to survive on the grant alone? In fact, the government should increase the grant so we don’t have to get additional income. People are desperate and even if it means starting small businesses to survive, they will do it,” he said. 

Sandy Godlwana, Sassa’s spokesperson in KwaZulu-Natal, said they called on all affected social grant beneficiaries to present themselves for reviews scheduled for the 2025/26 financial year. 

She said 93 142 reviews would be conducted across the province to ensure continued eligibility and compliance with legislative requirements. 

“Reviews are a routine part of Sassa’s grant administration and are conducted to verify the life status of the beneficiary, determine any changes in financial circumstances and assess overall eligibility for continued social assistance.

“In terms of Chapter 5 of the Social Assistance Act , Sassa is mandated to review social assistance and is empowered to suspend, increase or decrease the amount of assistance provided, depending on the outcome of the review,” she said.

Godlwana said Sassa would inform beneficiaries of their review dates at least 30 days in advance, using electronic communication or other available means.

“It is the responsibility of the beneficiary, primary caregiver or foster parent to comply with the review process. Beneficiaries who do not comply with the review process risk suspension of their social grant.”

She added that if a grant was suspended, the beneficiary would be informed in writing and had the right to appeal the decision within 90 days to the Independent Appeals Tribunal.

The Independent Appeals Tribunal can be contacted on 012 312 7727 or email [email protected].

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