The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has warned grant beneficiaries and the public to disregard false information circulating on various platforms.
Each month, Sassa distributes over 18 million permanent grant payments, including the Older Persons pension grant, Disability grant, War Veterans grant, Care Dependency grant, Foster Child grant, Child Support grant, Child Support grant Top-Up and Grant-in-aid.
This is in addition to the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant paid to approximately 8 million people living in South Africa.
In a statement, Sassa explained that the misleading information regarding a new digital grant payment system does not come from the agency and should not be trusted.
Sassa clients and the public at large are advised to ignore the information below as it is FALSE and does NOT come from Sassa.
The grant payment agency urged members of the public to rely on official Sassa communication channels for updates on social grants.
Any suspicious messages or claims should be reported to the nearest Sassa office or their customer service helpline. This warning comes amidst growing concerns over scams targeting vulnerable citizens.
How Sassa Grants Are Paid
There are several official Sassa grant payment channels available to grant beneficiaries.
This includes direct deposits into beneficiaries' bank accounts and the Sassa Gold Card, which can be used at ATMs and participating retailers.
The rollout of a new Sassa black card has also commenced which will function similarly to the Sassa gold card while providing grant beneficiaries with enhanced safety features.
How To Get New Sassa Card
Grant recipients now need to collect their new Sassa Black card as soon as possible. This card comes with a free first card replacement, three free store withdrawals per month, one free monthly statement and there will be no unauthorised deductions from your account.
To get your new Sassa card, you’ll need to locate a card replacement centre. To do this, Dial *120*218*3# on your phone.
Then, select option 1 and choose your province. You will then see a list of locations where new cards are being issued.
When collecting a new Sassa Card, you will need to bring your ID with you. If you’re collecting for someone else, you’ll need to bring the official Sassa proxy letter and if you’re an asylum seeker, you will need to bring the official approval letter from Sassa.
