THE KZN South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has confirmed it is facing a huge backlog in renewing disability grants because of a shortage of district surgeons who approve applicants’ assessments.
SASSA spokesman Vusi Mahaye said they had previously used doctors employed by the government to conduct the assessments, but after the introduction of a new policy which determines that government employees cannot do business with the State, the backlog started.
‘I can confirm that the backlog is increasing every day. Right now we have 10 000 applicants who need to be assessed,’he said.
Mahaye said tenders had been awarded to doctors throughout the country who are not employed by the State to concentrate on the backlog.
‘Doctors are expected to start working from next week and we hope the backlog would be eliminated by the end of January.
‘About 33 doctors will also be brought in from other provinces and some of them are expected to start their duties in the first week of December,’ Mahaye said.
He explained that SASSA offices have been working hard to ensure that beneficiaries ‘does not go to bed without food’.
‘We have put in place a three-month social relief grant system that helps those who are still waiting to be assessed.
‘These grants help recipients to obtain food vouchers, but this is a temporary arrangement and does not necessarily mean applicants will be successful.’
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