January social grants will be available from December 31 due to the fact that January 1, 2020, is a public holiday. The early December payment is not a bonus or double payment, it is intended for the convenience of beneficiaries. SASSA does not pay a bonus at all and beneficiaries are paid for twelve months only per year.
“Beneficiaries are urged to protect their PINS and avoid giving strangers their ID numbers, even if they claim to be from SASSA, the PIN is the beneficiary’s secret.
“They should not fall prey to scams distributed through WhatsApp, SMS and/or other social media,” says SASSA in its statement. “The public is urged to be vigilant around the festive season and double check misleading information sounding too good to be true. This is the time where the beneficiaries are targeted through a lot of scams that criminals are circulating with an effort to rob unsuspecting beneficiaries of their money.”
SASSA says its offices, toll-free line and its social media pages are the only sources that will provide correct and accurate information.
Beneficiaries are advised to call SASSA toll free on 0800 60 10 11 or SASSA Free State Customer Care: 051 410 8339 if they doubt something or want to report anything.
