The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) will start the payment cycle for the 2026/27 financial year on Thursday, April 5, when it will send out grants to older people. Grants for people with disabilities and children will be sent out on April 7 and 8, respectively.
Sassa told people who get grants that aren’t paid on these dates to go to their nearest office right away.
The Covid-19 social relief distress grant will also be paid on April 29 and 30.
The agency said in a press release on April 5 that it is still working to make sure that it pays the right social grant to the right person through its social grant reviews and life certification programs.
Life certification and social grant reviews are very important for making sure that people are still eligible, stopping payments to people who have died or are not eligible, and finding fraud. These steps help keep public money safe, keep the social assistance system honest, and make sure that help goes to the right people.
The Social Assistance Act 13 of 2004 makes it illegal for beneficiaries to not fully disclose all sources of income and personal information when they apply. They must also report any changes in their situation as required by Section 14(5) of the act.
A beneficiary may have been eligible when they applied, but they need to tell Sassa about any changes in their situation to make sure they stay eligible.
Beneficiaries who fail to comply with review or life certification requirements may have their grants suspended, with continued non-compliance potentially resulting in the lapsing of grants.
So, beneficiaries are reminded that they must tell Sassa about any changes to their personal circumstances, such as their contact information, marital status, and income, to avoid having their grants suspended or lapsed.
The agency said that the goal of its work is to make sure that the social assistance system stays in place and that help gets to the people who need it the most.
