Sassa slams R500 grant top-up as fake news
The agency clarified that the purported grant details circulating online are not legitimate.
THE viral video and messages circulating on social media platforms about a R500 top-up grant for elderly people and those living with disabilities are fake news.
The South African Social Security (Sassa) announced that the video and voice-note messages calling members of the public to apply for a grant in aid are misleading the public.
Sassa KZN spokesperson Sandy Godlwana said the video and WhatsApp messages circulating on social media platforms are not from Sassa.
“We have received WhatsApp messages from clients even wanting to enquire about the authenticity of these messages. These messages are fake news,” said Godlwana.
Also read: Sassa grant payment dates for September
She said Sassa does indeed have a grant-in-aid which is for those who are receiving older persons’ grants as well as disability grants who can no longer do things on their own.
“However, there are processes that must be followed before the grant is approved as not everyone is eligible for the grant-in-aid. Only individuals who cannot perform daily activities independently and have a medical certificate from their doctor confirming their condition are eligible.
How to apply for grant-in-aid
- You need to supply a medical report or assessment report from the doctor that shows that you are in need of full-time care.
- The applicant must be someone already receiving a grant and over 75 years old.
- Visit Sassa offices to apply for a grant-in-aid which is a top-up of about R5 000.
If you’re already receiving an old age, disability or war veteran’s grant, and you’re unable to care for yourself, to the point where you need full-time care from someone else, then you may get an additional monthly payment from the government called a grant-in-aid. Applicants cannot get the grant-in-aid on its own; it must be in addition to one of these main grants. You can’t get the grant-in-aid if you’re living in any kind of state-subsidised institution.
How do you know if you qualify?
You must:
- already get a disability grant, war veteran’s grant or grant for older persons
- not be able to look after yourself owing to your physical or mental disability, and therefore need full-time care from someone else
- not be cared for in an institution that receives a subsidy from the government for your care or housing.
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