SASSA Pays R140 Million to Deceased Grant Recipients. In a shocking revelation that has sparked national debate, the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has disclosed that it mistakenly disbursed approximately R140 million in social grants to nearly 75,000 deceased recipients during the 2023/2024 financial year. This incident has raised concerns about the integrity of the grant distribution system and the need for robust checks and balances.
What is SASSA 18 million?
Sassa plays a critical role in South Africa’s social welfare structure. Each month, it delivers essential financial aid to over 18 million South Africans, including the elderly, children, and individuals with disabilities. These social grants are often the only source of income for many vulnerable citizens.
While the agency has been praised for streamlining payments and ensuring millions receive timely support, this recent blunder highlights a major systemic flaw in the current process.
Why Did Sassa Pay Grants to the Deceased?
According to Tsakeriwa Chauke, Sassa’s Chief Financial Officer, the problem lies in the timing of the payment file generation. Grant payment files are created at the end of each month to ensure that beneficiaries receive their payments at the start of the next month.
However, if a grant recipient passes away between the time the file is prepared and the actual disbursement date, the system does not automatically exclude them. As a result, Sassa deceased payments slip through the cracks, inadvertently sending money to accounts that should have been closed or flagged.
Delay in Death Reporting
Adding to the complexity is the issue of delays in death reporting. According to Sassa official Brenton van Vrede, the agency’s systems are fully synchronised with the Department of Home Affairs, which is responsible for recording all registered deaths in the country.
“Although we are fully integrated with Home Affairs, we are still dependent on citizens reporting a death,” Van Vrede noted. This dependency on the timely reporting of deaths means that some deceased individuals remain active in the system, making it possible for payments to be issued erroneously.
Van Vrede also pointed out that while the occurrence is regrettable, it only affects about 0.02% of Sassa’s total grant budget a small fraction, yet still significant in terms of public trust and financial accountability.
SASSA Plan to Recover Payments and Prevent Future Errors
In response to the situation, Sassa is developing a new payment recovery system designed to recall funds paid out to deceased individuals. This automated bulk recovery system will rely heavily on verified data from the Department of Home Affairs to identify and reverse payments made after a recipient’s death.
This system is expected to undergo pilot testing in April 2025, with the aim of preventing future incidents and improving the overall efficiency and reliability of Sassa grants distribution.
The agency is also reviewing its current procedures and policies to introduce additional safeguards and ensure real-time data integration becomes more effective.
Public Trust and the Importance of Reporting
One of the major takeaways from this incident is the critical role that families and communities play in maintaining the integrity of the social grant system. Citizens are urged to report the death of a loved one promptly to both the Department of Home Affairs and Sassa to avoid complications or fraudulent activities.
Ensuring that data is up to date not only helps protect public funds but also enhances the credibility and reliability of South Africa’s social welfare system.
Conclusion
While the mistaken payout of R140 million in Sassa deceased payments is certainly concerning, it has also prompted necessary introspection and system reform within the agency. As Sassa works to implement a new recovery system and refine its operational procedures, the agency remains committed to serving South Africa’s most vulnerable populations with dignity, integrity, and transparency.
