South Africa’s social grant review process is placing additional strain on already vulnerable beneficiaries, human rights organisation Black Sash says, amid reports of long queues, poor network coverage and administrative delays at local South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) offices.
Beneficiaries told to respond despite system problems
Black Sash has recorded a sharp rise in calls from social grant recipients distressed by the ongoing review process, which was implemented last year to verify continued eligibility for social assistance. The organisation is urging people to respond to review notices, even where administrative or technical hurdles make doing so difficult.
Black Sash helpline manager Kgothatso Sibanda said beneficiaries face significant barriers when attempting to complete reviews.
"The biggest problem that beneficiaries have encountered is lack of capacity at SASSA local offices, and systematic glitches. You find that the offices are offline and, therefore, cannot assist the people that are there."
SASSA response: extra staff, home visits and procurators
SASSA acknowledged the problems and said measures are being put in place. Spokesperson Andile Tshona said the agency encourages beneficiaries to request official home visits where necessary and to nominate a procurator to help complete the process on their behalf.
"We encourage our beneficiaries to use these services by ensuring that they indicate to SASSA that they would like an official to visit them at their homes, as well as to appoint someone as their procurator."
To bolster capacity, SASSA said it is deploying 1,000 officials across the country to assist with grant reviews and other services.
Illustration of delays at local offices
The pressure on service centres was illustrated by the experience of a pensioner in Athlone who spoke of repeated attempts to obtain a foster care grant. The woman, identified in reporting as Angie Jacobs, said she had been turned away several times and had to travel multiple times to the local office, often arriving early and still being unable to complete her application.
Jacobs told reporters she had on several occasions arrived from 6:00 but was refused service. Her account underlines the combined costs—both financial and physical—that repeated visits place on applicants.
- Reported barriers: transport costs, long queues, poor network coverage, administrative delays.
- SASSA measure announced: deployment of 1,000 additional officials nationwide.
- Options promoted by SASSA: official home visits and appointment of a procurator.
Context and consequences
The review exercise, introduced last year, aims to ensure that social grants are paid only to those who remain eligible. However, the process has the potential to disrupt payments for grantees who cannot easily complete verification steps because of connectivity problems or limited capacity at local offices.
Delays or suspensions of grants can have immediate consequences for households that rely on them for food, medication and basic household needs. The combination of administrative backlog and technical faults risks increasing hardship among elderly people, caregivers accessing foster care grants and others dependent on the social safety net.
SASSA’s deployment of additional officials seeks to reduce backlogs, but it is not yet clear how quickly those staff will be in place at the points of greatest need or how technical issues will be resolved to prevent further disruption.
What beneficiaries should do
Black Sash and SASSA both emphasise the importance of responding to review notices. Beneficiaries who cannot get to a local office are advised to request a home visit or to nominate a procurator to act on their behalf. Those experiencing continued difficulty should contact SASSA or the Black Sash helpline for assistance.
| Issue reported | Immediate impact |
|---|---|
| Poor network coverage | Inability to complete verification at offices |
| Long queues and lack of capacity | Repeated visits, denied service, increased travel costs |
| Administrative delays | Potential suspension or delayed payment of grants |
Reporting on the story indicates SASSA is aware of the strain and has outlined remedial measures. The situation remains developing as the agency rolls out additional staff and as beneficiaries continue to seek assistance.
