Social grants Archives - Voice of the Cape

COSATU urges SASSA to reconsider its phasing out of the Postbank

Cosatu has urged the South African Social Security Agency to reconsider its decision to phase out Postbank as a social grant service provider. According to Cosatu's spokesperson, Matthew Parks, the federation is extremely disappointed by SASSA's announcement that it intends to phase out Postbank's participation in processing social grant payments to millions of recipients in favour of private banks. "After Postbank reported that such fees would not be deducted, social […]

4 September 2025

Local

Post Office liquidation: Sassa says beneficiaries will get their grants

Despite the South African Post Office (Sapo) facing liquidation, South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi has assured beneficiaries they will still receive their grants. Sapo was placed under provisional liquidation on February 9 after a court application by a creditor owed for rent. Business Day said in the Post Office's most recent financial statements for 2021/2022 to end-March 2022, it owed more than R4.4bn to creditors and its debt exceeded its […]

18 April 2023

Local

Social grants in relation to food prices

By Lee-Yandra Paulsen “Social grants are essentially spent on food and if you look at our food basket which increased with 12%. This means even with the increase for social grant, people receiving these grants can buy less food this year compared to last year.” This is according to the Programme Coordinator at the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group, Mervyn Abrahams who spoke to VOC Breakfast on Monday morning […]

27 February 2023

Local

Minister Zulu apologises to grant beneficiaries for protracted delays

The government has admitted that large numbers of beneficiaries who are eligible to receive the R350 COVID-19 social relief grant are yet to get their money. The money was meant for people who are either without employment or have since lost their jobs due to the pandemic and who are not receiving other forms of state assistance. The government has since extended the duration of the special COVID-19 social grant […]

26 November 2020

Local

Calls for grant increase and extension grow ahead of Ramaphosa’s economic recovery plan

As the country anxiously awaits the details to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s economic recovery plan for South Africa, civil society unions have called for governments grants to be increased and extended. It comes amid bleak predictions for the country’s economy, which has been hard hit by restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Speaking to VOC’s Breakfast Beat on Wednesday, Economics PhD candidate and Southern African Labour and Development Research […]

14 October 2020

News

Frustrating wait for SASSA beneficiaries despite promises of smooth process during lockdown

As pensioners and social grant beneficiaries make their way to pay points across the country, Cape Town grant holders expressed frustration over unfulfilled promises to be prioritized during the lockdown. On Monday, VOC News visited the Post Office in Athlone, where some elderly had been waiting outside since 8am. While some had taken a seat on the concrete slab at the nearby bus stop, others - even the disabled - […]

30 March 2020

News

SASSA to limit grantholders at paypoints as part of COVID19 measures

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has put measures in place to combat the possibility of spreading the coronavirus a some of its outlets. SASSA said it will have limit the large numbers of social grant beneficiaries who collect their grants each month, following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call to action to take precautionary measures. President Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act […]

20 March 2020

Local

Sassa inquiry to hear closing arguments in March

The inquiry into whether Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini should be held personally liable for the grant distribution crisis at the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) will resume on March 19 for closing arguments. The Constitutional Court appointed Judge Bernard Ngoepe to head the inquiry to investigate whether Dlamini should be held personally liable for the costs incurred during the Sassa payment crisis. Dlamini appeared before the inquiry last week, […]

3 February 2018

Local

Post Office, banks to deliver grants in hybrid model

The South African Post Office will handle core functions of a new social grants system, while commercial banks will play an increased, direct role for more than 2 million beneficiaries. The inter-ministerial committee on social security, headed by Minister Jeff Radebe, announced on Sunday that a "landmark" deal had been signed with SAPO to handle core functions of a new system. The deal was signed on Friday, December 8, and […]

10 December 2017

Social grants

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