Agency adds NEW fourth payment date for SASSA grants

11 Views

Here’s why the agency is introducing a new fourth payment date for SASSA grants from next month – August 2025 – onwards. As The South African has reported over the past months, SASSA beneficiaries are growing increasingly frustrated over the latest identity and income verification checks they’re receiving with no notice.

As such, hundreds of thousands of SASSA recipients have been left without grants as they try to verify their profiles in-person. Initially, the agency insisted it was regarding biometric identity verification. However, in the last two months, it’s clear that SASSA is targeting those with questionable income streams, too.

FOURTH PAYMENT DATE FOR SASSA GRANTS

Social Development Minister Tolashe is the facing resistance from all sides over this firm approach to grant reviews. Image: File

Therefore, the South African Social Security Agency is encountering a whole new set of issues as it tries to tighten its belt and reduce expense. Previously, all SASSA beneficiaries had to receive three months’ notice in writing before a grant review took place.

Now, the agency appears to be taking a more aggressive approach to those flirting with the income and asset limits. Your SASSA grant is withheld if you are under review, and then you must report to a SASSA office to defend your case and show you are still worthy. Unfortunately, it is the shoddy service at most SASSA branches that is holding the entire process up.

AUGUST 2025 SASSA PAYMENT DATES

Old-Age Grants – Tuesday 5 August 2025
Disability Grants – Wednesday 6 August 2025
Childcare Grants – Thursday 7 August 2025
Fourth Payment Date for SASSA grants – Friday 8 August 2025

SASSA DEFENDS ITS ACTIONS

Nearly 45% of the population receive SASSA grants of one form or another. Image: File

With the elderly, disabled and mothers with newborns suffering, the agency has strongly defended its recent actions. This week, SASSA Chief Executive Officer Themba Matlou said: “The review process was part of on-going efforts to verify eligibility and fraud,” reports GroundUp .

Moreover, the CEO is promising to extend operating hours at swamped SASSA offices. Likewise, he insists he will employ more staff to help process the tens of thousands of in-person reviews taking place around the country. All of the above is as a result of the National Treasury insisting the department spends its money better.

QUARTER OF A MILLION IMPLICATED

With the number of staff currently, only about 500 grant reviews can take place daily at any one SASSA office. Image: File

Reports suggest as many as 250 000 SASSA beneficiaries have been flagged in accordance with stricter monthly income checks. Various databases are now being cross-referenced between banks, government and third-party credit bureaus to discover any SASSA recipient’s undisclosed income.

As such, the agency sees fit to introduce a fourth payment date for SASSA grants from next month onwards. SASSA currently pays its social grants over three consecutive days. However, a fourth pay date will now be set aside for those beneficiaries targeted for review. “Clients under review will only be paid on the fourth day. This ensures they receive their grant timeously after completing the review. You’re still getting your grant in the month it is due … it’s just a few days later. And this won’t prejudice the general payment cycle for others,” Matlou explained.

HOW SASSA REVIEWS WORK IN 2025

The minister recently had to answer accusations that disability grants were being deliberately turned down by inept government doctors. Image: File

Beneficiaries who receive SASSA payments between the first Tuesday and Thursday of each month do not need to take any action. However, those who receive an SMS to report to a SASSA branch, must do so as soon as possible. If a beneficiary does not come forward after three months from the date they were notified, only then will their SASSA grant be suspended.

Over and above the nearly 250 000 grant reviews, SASSA says another 140 000 SMS notifications have been sent out. Except, many people say they haven’t received these because they have changed their contact details. The goal is to have rectified 300 000 SASSA grant reviews by year end.