SASSA Works to Reduce Identity Fraud in Social Relief Grant System The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) reports that it is reducing the number of identity fraud cases while working to eliminate corruption in the R370 social relief of distress grant program. The agency has been investigating fraudulent applications where criminals use stolen personal information to claim benefits meant for vulnerable citizens. SASSA officials say they have made progress in identifying and stopping these illegal activities.
Parliament learned on Wednesday that the National Treasury had given the agency additional instructions to strengthen its oversight and cut down on corruption. These requirements were tied to the agency receiving its yearly budget of R8 billion. The Treasury made these directives mandatory conditions that must be met before the full annual funding would be released to the organization.
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SASSA announced that it has finished performing biometric verification checks on everyone who receives SRD payments. The agency completed this process to confirm the identity of all grant recipients through their unique biological characteristics.
Treasury requires SASSA to submit quarterly reports about the verification checks it performs. These reports must show that all grant recipients meet the proper requirements and are legitimate beneficiaries. The agency needs to demonstrate through these regular submissions that it has properly confirmed the eligibility of everyone receiving grants. This reporting system helps maintain accountability and ensures that only qualified individuals receive financial assistance from the program.
SASSA Review Creates Chaos for Thousands of Grant Recipients The South African Social Security Agency identified 259,000 beneficiaries for verification during the initial phase of its review process. This decision led to widespread confusion and disorder at SASSA offices throughout September. The review required these beneficiaries to visit their local offices to confirm their eligibility for continued grant payments.
Grants administrator Brenton van Vrede explained that checking bank accounts for additional income when people registered for grants was not realistic. He noted that banks needed time to gather & provide this information.
We have added a check to our bank verification process that only allows fully FICA compliant accounts to be verified. If an account has not completed the full FICA requirements we will not transfer money into that account.
The first phase of the review led to more than 34,000 grants being suspended or allowed to lapse. During the same period 8500 beneficiaries saw their grant amounts reduced following income verification checks.
SASSA Announces Second Phase Targeting Child Support Grants SASSA has announced that the second phase of its program will primarily target child support grants. The agency plans to send approximately 150000 notifications during September and October. The initiative represents a significant effort by SASSA to reach beneficiaries who receive child support assistance.
