The abrupt suspension of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant by the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has ignited concerns over procedural fairness and human rights violations.
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As of 21 January 2025, beneficiaries flagged for suspected fraudulent activities found themselves without the crucial R370 grant payments, a decision that has left many vulnerable individuals in dire straits. The affected beneficiaries have been advised to visit their nearest SASSA offices for assistance. Alternatively, they are also encouraged to reach out to Legal Resources Centre (LRC) for additional support.
The announcement by SASSA came with an unexpected twist. While the agency advised beneficiaries to check their statuses online, this verification service has been suspended indefinitely, leaving many in the dark. “Instead, affected beneficiaries only discovered they had been flagged for suspected fraud when their grant payments were not made last week,” the LRC stated, indicating that this lack of prior notification is a breach of procedural rights. In the Eastern Cape alone, the impact has been severe, with approximately 100,550 beneficiaries stripped of their financial lifeline, the LRC said.
While preventing fraudulent activities is undeniably crucial, the LRC’s assessment points to a glaring neglect of beneficiaries’ rights. “Any effort to address fraudulent payments must comply with the principles of procedural fairness and uphold the rights of all affected individuals,” the LRC further urged.
The SRD grant, governed by Section 32 of the Social Assistance Act of 2004, is aimed at South Africans in need, including refugees and special permit holders aged between 18 and 60 who do not receive social grants on behalf of themselves, or who are not contributing to or eligible for Unemployment Insurance Fund payment, and have no financial support from any other source.
On 27 January 2025, SASSA informed all beneficiaries that it is mandated to cancel all fraudulent grant payments, while emphasising its commitment to combatting fraud and ensuring that grants are paid to the rightful beneficiaries.
“Sassa implemented this activity to ensure that it pays social grants to the right people and avoid fraud. The agency is encouraging people to take responsibility to make sure that their identity numbers are not utilised for fraudulent activities. Sassa beneficiaries must ensure that they do not share their identity numbers with strangers to avoid becoming aiding fraudsters,” the agency said.
“Beneficiaries are encouraged to note that when they check their status and find out that it states ‘referred’ it means that the SASSA system is suspecting fraudulent activity therefore the beneficiary must contact SASSA immediately to resolve the case,” the agency said.
SASSA also warned beneficiaries not to keep changing their banking details and contact numbers because those processes delay the payment processes.
#Conviction
