South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) announced on 30 September that after seeing an increase in the number of rejected applicants for the Covid-19 unemployment grant, they have decided to implement an additional step of means-testing applications through banks.
Sassa spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi said this was done to ensure that the requirement that applicants should be earning no income to be able to qualify for a grant, was met. “However, following an engagement with the Department of Social Development, it has been agreed to reconsider the use of the means test through the banks as a criterion to determine eligibility.
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“The will affect the approximately 1,9 million people who have been receiving the grant to date, but who were declined in August. The legal framework which supports the reconsideration of the use of bank means testing is being amended by the Department of Social Development and will be published within the next few days,” explained Letsatsi.
Letsatsi added that these amendments would clarify the qualifying criteria and support Sassa in ensuring that deserving citizens received the support they were entitled to, for the duration of this grant.
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“Recently the Auditor General identified about 30 000 undeserving applicants who received the grant while not meeting the qualifying criteria as they were receiving financial support from the government through other Covid-19 initiatives,” added Letsatsi.
“In response to this finding, Sassa reviewed and strengthened its controls with regard to the evaluation of applications. Applications are considered on their individual merits on a month to month basis, which means an application can be approved for one month and rejected the following month if, for instance, the financial situation changed. This has become more prevalent with the lockdown levels easing, allowing for some sectors of the economy to return to work, and thus reducing the number of severely distressed citizens.”
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Letsatsi furthermore said despite the reduced levels of lockdown, Sassa was aware that the pandemic had taken its toll and many people were without an income. All applicants whose applications are declined have the right to appeal against the decision.
Beneficiaries who have been rejected are reminded that they can send their appeals to covid19srdappeals@sassa.gov.za
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