Many child support grant recipients left without money for January

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) denies that there was anything exceptional about January’s payment dash. But many people acquire complained to #PayTheGrants and Black Sash.

• Hundreds of people believe reported that social grants for their kids believe not been paid.
• GroundUp visited social grant offices in Cape Town and Kariega, where grant recipients lined up to reapply after their grants were suspended.
• SASSA officials believe anonymously told #PayTheGrants, Black Sash and GroundUp that there’s a problem.
• But the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) spokesperson claims that there has been nothing exceptional about January’s grant payments.

Almost a week after the payment date for the child support grant, many recipients maintain not yet received their money for January.

Many people nationwide maintain complained to organisations #PayTheGrants and Black Sash that their grants gain been suspended, seemingly for diminutive or no reason. It appears that some used age grant recipients believe also been affected.

The child support grant is R510 a month and 65% of kids in South Africa receive the grant.

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) denies that there was anything exceptional about January’s payment dash. SASSA says that grants are suspended every month for recipients who fail bank verification processes, or who are declared dead by the Department of Home Affairs.

“This is a monthly process that is conducted as portion of the pre-payment process and not just specific to the month of January 2024,” SASSA spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi told GroundUp.

But Elizabeth Raiters, who heads up the helpdesk at #PayTheGrants, says that SASSA officials confirmed to her earlier on Tuesday that there was a “system error” and that the matter is being resolved. But it is unclear whether recipients will receive their money before the next payment race in February.

Raiters said she had a meeting with over a hundred affected recipients in Eldorado Park on Monday evening. She estimates that thousands believe been affected nationwide.

“It is very rotten for beneficiaries,” said Raiters. “Children believe to disappear back to school and now the parents can’t buy food or stationery.”

Black Sash Western Cape coordinator Thandi Hanekom also told GroundUp there has been an uptick in reports of erroneous suspensions.

This has also been confirmed by a SASSA official at a branch in Gqeberha, speaking to GroundUp anonymously.

GroundUp visited branch offices in Mitchells Plain (Cape Town) and Kariega (Nelson Mandela Bay), where grant recipients lined up to reapply after their grants were suspended.

According to Raiters, grants believe been suspended for “ridiculous reasons” which never presented problems before. For example, she said, some grants were suspended because recipients had two names on their bank statements but three names on their identity documents.

SASSA’s national payment system has experienced several problems over the past two years. In September, thousands of social grant recipients were left without money after a “technical glitch” disrupted payment into the accounts of recipients who use SASSA Gold cards.

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