SASSA steps up grant reviews after suspending 70,000 payments

By Akani Nkuna

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) CEO, Themba Matlou, said on Thursday that 70,000 grants had been suspended after a review of 240,000, attributing the suspensions to beneficiaries’ failure to undergo reviews in the current financial year.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Steenhuisen says he is exiting DA leadership race to focus on devastating foot-and-mouth outbreak

He said the agency was intensifying its efforts to complete 420,000 reviews.

The review process, he said at a media briefing in Cape Town, enables SASSA to assess beneficiaries’ eligibility, ensure grants are awarded to qualifying applicants, and determine whether recipients’ financial circumstances have improved since they were awarded assistance. Following the review, SASSA either continues payments or suspends the grant.

“As we committed last year that we will put measures to ease this process in local offices, we have implemented key innovations during this period such as the rollout of