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Better social benefits a step closer to reality

Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini. Picture: VATHISWA REUSELO
Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini. Picture: VATHISWA REUSELO

Minister of Social Development Bathabile Dlamini told reporters in Parliament on Tuesday that the department was ready to start putting into operation the proposed amendments to the Social Assistance Act.

The amendments will allow the department to offer elderly beneficiaries funeral benefits as well as set up the Inspectorate for Social Assistance‚ which will facilitate appeals against any decision or transaction by the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa).

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday‚ Dlamini said the cabinet reviewed the proposal for the amendments by the department and approved them for release and public comment.

“The amendments also seek to establish a supplementary benefits fund which will enable government to provide funeral benefits to the elderly and a savings vehicle for caregivers of children with the aim of linking social grants to developmental activities‚” said Dlamini.

She said the amendments will also allow for additional amounts to be given through the child support grant to orphans and child-headed households. Social Development Director General Thokozani Magwaza told reporters that the Inspectorate office was ready to look into appeals of Sassa transactions and decisions.

“We set up as a investigative body with three directors. We are finalising the establishment. It is being piloted within the scope of social security and those three directors are already operational‚” said Magwaza.

Deputy Director General Brenton van Vrede said when the department started the appeals tribunal into transactions and decisions by Sassa‚ it had 3000 new appeals per month and this was reduced to less than 500.

Van Vrede said that the department was excited to be able to offer funeral benefits to South Africans at a competitive rate.

“If we look at the amount of deductions on SASSA for funeral benefits we see roughly R2bn. The deductions allow up to 10% for funeral benefits. We can probably do that for the beneficiaries at a cost about R50 or as low as R35‚” said Van Vrede.? — TMG Digital/BusinessLIVE

 

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