SASSA is now making it clear that you cannot apply for social relief of distress food vouchers online after a fake message circulated on social media. It said that applications can be made by calling or emailing in SASSA when really you can only apply at a SASSA office.
SASSA is working on a platform which would allow citizens to apply for the food vouchers.
SASSA shared the following which shows the fake message which was circulated:
Please note that the below information is false and does NOT come from SASSA. #SASSACARES @The_DSD @nda_rsa @PostofficeSa @GCISMedia @GovernmentZA pic.twitter.com/IUYFaA8UDx
— SASSA (@OfficialSASSA) July 16, 2021
SASSA's food relief programme which sees beneficiaries receive vouchers to buy food was disrupted due to the recent unrests but has now been restarted. The agency now provides vouchers instead of food parcels.
The vouchers can then be used at selected merchants to buy exactly what you need. However, some of these stores were looted and vandalised in the past week.
On why they made the switch from parcels to vouchers, SASSA Spokesperson, Paseka Letsatsi, explained:
The reason why we did this is because of what we have assessed over time. In some instances we get complaints all the time that the food parcels are being abused and certain people get the food parcels as opposed to others so we were trying to make it very simple.
Letsatsi said that this voucher is good for a time like this where there is a crisis occurring in the country. He continued to explain that if someone is killed, they might have been a breadwinner and the family will then be able to use the vouchers.
This is not connected to the R350 grant and is instead targeted towards people who have been affected by the unrest and are in need. SASSA grant beneficiaries won't qualify for the food vouchers.
