Sassa's review process causes anxiety among social grant beneficiaries

The South African Social Security Agency's (Sassa) review process for social grants has caused anxiety among beneficiaries, resulting in long queues and concerns about losing vital income. Minister of Social Development Dina Pule acknowledged the growing frustration among grant recipients, emphasizing that social grants are a lifeline for millions of households.

The review process, a legal requirement under the Social Assistance Act, aims to ensure that grants are paid to those who remain eligible and that changes in financial, medical, or personal circumstances are accurately reflected in beneficiary records. Sassa flagged over 420,000 grants for review during the 2025/26 financial year, and more than 240,000 reviews have been completed.

However, an estimated 160,000 beneficiaries failed to present themselves for review. For 2026/27, Sassa plans to review more than 350,000 grants, potentially saving R1.5 billion. To support the process, Sassa is enhancing its online platforms and recruiting 1,000 contract workers to provide additional frontline assistance. Despite the need for accountability, community leaders like Rajesh Ramnunan in Pietermaritzburg express concerns about the impact on legitimate beneficiaries, such as the elderly, disabled persons, and single parents who rely on Sassa grants for essential needs.

They argue that the process must be humane and propose sending letters to affected beneficiaries with required documentation, providing clear timelines for reviews, and introducing a 30-day grace period for submitting outstanding documents before grants are suspended. IFP eThekwini councillor Dr Jonathan Annipen also urges a balance between fraud prevention and not creating an administrative burden for vulnerable people, suggesting expanded mobile outreach, temporary review centers, appointment systems, improved communication, and better use of government databases to reduce paperwork.