Numerous complaints about unauthorised SASSA Old-Age Grant deductions has the agency reaching out to beneficiaries. SASSA CEO Themba Matlou said this past week that the agency has no authority to make any SASSA Old-Age Grant deductions. So, why has there been such a spate of this occurring in the last month?
SASSA OLD-AGE GRANT DEDUCTIONS
By way of clarification, the South African Social Security Agency assures clients that it is not allowed to make deductions without notifying the recipient beforehand and receiving consent. If you have not received your full grant amount for the month of August, you must contact SASSA immediately to rectify the situation.
Recently, several SASSA beneficiaries have come forward alleging that their grants are arriving with R165 already deducted, reports The Citizen. Due to the sheer number of complaints, the concern is that this has moved beyond a few isolated incidents and there are nefarious actors at play.
DODGY FUNERAL POLICIES TO BLAME
“I can tell you outright that we are not allowed to make SASSA Old-Age Grant deductions from a beneficiary without their consent. That is the regulation. Your money is your money. Once we give you the money, we have no control over that,” clarified Matlou.
“However, of course, there will be these unscrupulous chance-takers who will try to take advantage of SASSA grant recipients. A possible reason could be funeral policies being deducted from immediately after the SASSA Grant payment. But the agency does not offer any such policy. And the agency does not allow anyone to advertise policies using its branding,” Matlou explained.
THE AGENCY IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE
Furthermore, Matlou admitted that these unauthorised SASSA Old-Age Grant deductions have been brought to the agency’s attention. And it has handed investigations over to the SAPS to try find these people. It is a serious offence to misrepresent yourself as a government entity.
As such, if you think you’ve fallen prey to unauthorised SASSA Old-Age Grant deductions, here’s what you can do:
- SMS your ID number, full name, the name of the financial service provider, policy duration and reason for disputing the deduction to 34548.
- WhatsApp SASSA on +27 82 046 8553
- Call the SASSA helpline on 080 060 1011 or visit a local office in-person.
- You may also want to contact your bank and/or third-party insurer if you think our profiles have been compromised.
SASSA CONTACTS BY PROVINCE
Try contacting SASSA for assistance on the following provincial numbers:
- Eastern Cape: 043 707 6300
- Gauteng: 011 241 8320
- Mpumalanga: 013 754 9446
- Limpopo: 015 291 7509
- North West: 018 388 4006
- Free State: 051 410 8339
- North West: 053 802 4919
- KwaZulu-Natal: 033 846 3324
- Western Cape: 021 469 0235
HAVE YOU HAD AN UNAUTHORISED DEDUCTION GO OFF YOUR GRANT?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
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