Assupol to cover funeral costs of two pensioners who died collecting grants

Funeral cover and financial services provider Assupol has offered to cover the funeral costs of the two pensioners who died collecting grants on the first day of payment under lockdown.

This was confirmed by Social Services Minister Lindiwe Zulu during Tuesday’s inter-ministerial committee media briefing on government’s progress during the country’s current lockdown period.

According to reports published on Monday, one pensioner died in Pimville, Soweto, while the other died in Hammersdale in KwaZulu-Natal.

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Assupol is currently looking for each beneficiary’s next of kin in order to finalise the payment of the funeral costs to the tune of R50,000 for each pensioner.

This money will also assist as the families are not eligible for receiving the funds that were due to each beneficiary.

Zulu explained that this is because the payments that were being paid out were for the coming month (April) and the pensioners died in March, thus nullifying the families’ rights to the money.

“We have to be sensitive to the fact that these people died at a critical time when their families need money.”

However, according to Zulu, regulations dictate that Sassa cannot pay the money to the families, not even under these circumstances.

Sassa would instead provide the families with “social relief of distress”.

She added that the provincial department of social services, currently being led by Panyaza Lesufi, would look into providing additional support.

Lesufi has already made his way to meet the family of the deceased Gauteng pensioner in an effort to begin this process.

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