Grant fraud crackdown: Sassa suspends payments to thousands

The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) is cracking down on social grant beneficiaries who may be receiving income that they have not disclosed to Sassa. In a statement Sassa said that about 210 000 people have been identified through credit bureau checks. Sassa said it was acting in terms of the Social Assistance Act, which requires beneficiaries to declare all sources of income when applying for a grant and to report any changes after the grant has been approved. The affected beneficiaries will not receive grant payments in June’s payment cycle, which starts on Tuesday 3 June. They will have 30 days to visit their nearest Sassa office for a review. Phemelo speaks to Sassa spokesperson, Paseka Letsatsi.