Sassa in KZN pleased with beneficiary review process

Sassa officials assisting beneficiaries.

The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) in KwaZulu-Natal has commended its social grant beneficiaries for honesty during the grant review process in the current financial year. More than 70 000 people have been suspended nationally from Sassa’s grand payment system, saving the agency about R500 million.

Sassa had planned to conduct 420 000 reviews and about 240 000 of those have been completed. In KwaZulu-Natal so far, about 81 000 out of 93 000 cases have been reviewed.

Sassa KZN Executive Manager, Thamo Mzobe says the province’s beneficiaries have been pleasant to work with.

“We really commend KZN Sassa beneficiaries for really cooperating with our process of the review. The reviews are regulated by law in terms of Social Assistance Act, and they are regulated also by National Treasury’s condition for us to pay a grant to the right person, at the right time, at the right place. So, we are keen to indicate that it’s important that as you apply for a grant, you always sign to say once your income status changes you will come back to inform us that your income status has changed for the better.”

Mzobe has urged younger social grant recipients to apply online as they are more proficient in the usage of modern technology.

“We encourage the young ones, those young mothers who receive child support grants, who are able to use their cellphones, let them apply at the comfort of their home. And also if you so happen that you are in our offices, please, there is a kiosk, we call it kiosk just like in the banking system where they give you a corner, give you a phone to do whatever you want to do instead of queuing. So, we have a kiosk which is a system where you just walk in, you need assistance, there is a person who is always dedicated to assist. Then you are in and out in no time instead of following the queue.”