New dates for Sassa grant payments announced
The change from the traditional payment date of the first of every month was announced at the end of March when it became apparent that social distancing protocols hampered the collection process.
As from this month (May) Disability and Older Persons Grants will be paid from the 3rd of the month while other grants (Child Support Grant, Foster Child Grant and Care Dependency Grant) will be paid on the 6th. The change from the traditional payment date of the first of every month was announced by the Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu and the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) at the end of March when it became apparent that social distancing protocols hampered the collection process.
Sassa consulted with National Treasury, the South African Post Office, the banking association, retailers, and others to ensure that payments were staggered in such a way that people with disabilities and the elderly received their grants first.
Should the payment dates fall on a weekend or public holiday, payment will be made on the first working day thereafter. For example, since 3 May falls on a Sunday, Old Age Pension and Disability Grants will be available from Monday, 4 May.
Old Age Pension and Disability Grant beneficiaries who use one card to receive other grants will be able to access all linked grants simultaneously. Sassa KZN Acting Regional Executive Manager Zanoxolo Mpeta reminded the public that once the money was in a recipient’s account, it would remain there until needed. “Money deposited into your account is safe and will not be taken back if not used. There is no need to rush to withdraw cash on the first day. The Sassa card can be used as a debit card to pay for purchases, and therefore it is not necessary to withdraw cash for the purchase of goods.”
*Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news
Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
