A growing number of complaints about unauthorised deductions from SASSA Old-Age Grants have raised alarm among beneficiaries, prompting the agency to issue a firm warning.
SASSA CEO Themba Matlou confirmed last week that no agency is authorised to make deductions from beneficiaries’ grants without their consent.
“We are not allowed to make any SASSA Old-Age Grant deductions without the beneficiary’s approval. That is the regulation. Your money is your money. Once we pay it to you, we have no control over it,” said Matlou.
He added that unscrupulous individuals often attempt to take advantage of grant recipients, with funeral policy deductions being a common example.
“SASSA does not sell or endorse any funeral policy, nor do we allow anyone to use our branding to advertise such products,” Matlou emphasised.
Recent reports indicate that R165 was deducted from some beneficiaries’ grants without their knowledge. The matter has been referred to the SAPS for investigation.
What to Do If You’re a Victim
Beneficiaries who notice unauthorised deductions can take the following steps:
- SMS your ID number, full name, the name of the financial service provider, policy duration, and reason for disputing the deduction to 34548.
- WhatsApp SASSA on +27 82 046 8553.
- Call the SASSA helpline on 080 060 10111.
Provincial Contact Numbers:
- Eastern Cape: 043 707 6300
- Gauteng: 011 241 8320
- Mpumalanga: 013 754 9446
- Limpopo: 015 291 7509
- North West: 018 388 4006
- Free State: 051 410 8339
- KwaZulu-Natal: 033 846 3324
- Western Cape: 053 802 4919
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