“There are a number of reasons why the SRD grant system excludes deserving beneficiaries and as a result of all of those unjust barriers, it is not surprising to us that the government is underspending on the grant in an attempt to prevent people from being able to access that,” she said.
“It is ultimately shocking that public money that has been earmarked to help the most the most vulnerable in society is not reaching them because the government is being overzealous and stopping people from getting their entitlement."
Elizebeth Raiters, deputy chair at #PayTheGrants, said the new social development minister, Sisisi Tolashe, needed to intervene to make sure beneficiaries have access to the grant.“It is unfortunate that Sassa is underspending at the cost of declining the most vulnerable beneficiaries who really depend on the grants. The decline rate have been very high and also Tribunal is declining more than 90% of appeals,” said Raiters.
The grant was increased in April from R350 to R370 a month, and only people earning up to R625 a month are eligible.
Molapo said Sassa lacked a robust system to report and track these inquiries, leading to inefficiencies. “Sassa doesn’t have a process to report and track grant inquiries received from the public, with the result that they cannot accurately report resolved and unresolved cases,” she said, adding this shortcoming has had a detrimental impact on service delivery and contributed to public dissatisfaction.
Bridget Masango, chairperson of portfolio committee of the social development, said the committee would summon the department to answer. “These are life-saving grants,” she said after the briefing.
“We emphasised this point and are expecting the department to come before the portfolio committee soon for the BRRR [Budget Review and Recommendations Report]. We made it clear there must be timelines for ensuring that these controls don't prevent people from receiving these essential grants.”.
Masango described the presentation by the AG’s office as “depressing”, and emphasised the human impact of financial mismanagement. “At the back of every key unachieved target are starving people and stunted children.”
The audit report revealed that over the past five years, Sassa and the department were implicated in multiple material irregularities.
Molapo also revealed that Sassa had identified and withheld R145m from alleged overpayments of SRD grants. “We found that there were people working for the government who had applied for and received the R350 grants.”
Paulnita Marais of the EFF) said: “Our people are suffering. People are sending me messages that their mothers' R370 is being paid to the wrong person. People have been struggling since last year to access their R370. We’ve been complaining to Sassa, but it seems like our complaints go through one ear and out the other.” –GroundUp
SowetanLIVE
R4bn underspending by Sassa a travesty – NGOs
Beneficiaries struggle to access their grants
Image: LULAMILE FENI
Organisations helping vulnerable people have described as a travesty the underspending of R4bn by Social Security Agency of SA (Sassa) on the social relief of distress (SRD) grants in the last financial year.
On Wednesday, the Office of the Auditor-General revealed the underspending to the portfolio committee on social development in parliament. The AG senior audit manager, Puleng Molapo, said the primary reason for the underspending was a low uptake of the SRD grant following a new application and bank verification process introduced in 2022.
With the new system, potential beneficiaries were required to apply using only digital platforms.
“This resulted in Sassa not paying some beneficiaries because they were no longer eligible due to the lower income threshold and bank verification of their income,” said Molapo .
The SRD grant was introduced in 2020 at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic as an emergency measure to alleviate extreme poverty.
Kelle Howson, senior researcher from the Economic Justice (IEJ), described the underspending as a “travesty” as they have had complaints from beneficiaries through their partners, saying they were struggling to access their grants.
The IEJ and #PayTheGrants have launched a court case against Sassa over the new application requirement for the grant, which will be heard next month.
Howson said beneficiaries had complained about failing at bank verifications system. They said being only online, they needed a smart phone to navigate the complex application system.
“There are a number of reasons why the SRD grant system excludes deserving beneficiaries and as a result of all of those unjust barriers, it is not surprising to us that the government is underspending on the grant in an attempt to prevent people from being able to access that,” she said.
“It is ultimately shocking that public money that has been earmarked to help the most the most vulnerable in society is not reaching them because the government is being overzealous and stopping people from getting their entitlement."
Elizebeth Raiters, deputy chair at #PayTheGrants, said the new social development minister, Sisisi Tolashe, needed to intervene to make sure beneficiaries have access to the grant.“It is unfortunate that Sassa is underspending at the cost of declining the most vulnerable beneficiaries who really depend on the grants. The decline rate have been very high and also Tribunal is declining more than 90% of appeals,” said Raiters.
The grant was increased in April from R350 to R370 a month, and only people earning up to R625 a month are eligible.
Molapo said Sassa lacked a robust system to report and track these inquiries, leading to inefficiencies. “Sassa doesn’t have a process to report and track grant inquiries received from the public, with the result that they cannot accurately report resolved and unresolved cases,” she said, adding this shortcoming has had a detrimental impact on service delivery and contributed to public dissatisfaction.
Bridget Masango, chairperson of portfolio committee of the social development, said the committee would summon the department to answer. “These are life-saving grants,” she said after the briefing.
“We emphasised this point and are expecting the department to come before the portfolio committee soon for the BRRR [Budget Review and Recommendations Report]. We made it clear there must be timelines for ensuring that these controls don't prevent people from receiving these essential grants.”.
Masango described the presentation by the AG’s office as “depressing”, and emphasised the human impact of financial mismanagement. “At the back of every key unachieved target are starving people and stunted children.”
The audit report revealed that over the past five years, Sassa and the department were implicated in multiple material irregularities.
Molapo also revealed that Sassa had identified and withheld R145m from alleged overpayments of SRD grants. “We found that there were people working for the government who had applied for and received the R350 grants.”
Paulnita Marais of the EFF) said: “Our people are suffering. People are sending me messages that their mothers' R370 is being paid to the wrong person. People have been struggling since last year to access their R370. We’ve been complaining to Sassa, but it seems like our complaints go through one ear and out the other.” –GroundUp
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