Changes are underway at the South African Social Security
Agency.
By Cherrol Skosana
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) is mandated
by the South African Social Security Agency Act of 2004 to “ensure the
provision of comprehensive social security services against vulnerability and
poverty within the constitutional legislative framework”. According to the 2018 statistical reports,
the total number of people receiving social grants in South Africa from
September 2017 to February 2018 has increased. There are now over 17 million
grants that are paid monthly in South Africa.
BEFORE THE CHANGES
The Cash Paymasters services’ is currently the one
responsible for the distribution of social grants on a monthly basis on behalf
of SASSA since 2012. The CPS is assigned
to distribute in the rural communities where most people do not have access to
the ATMs. The CPS’s social grant card was the safest with biometric security
features in accessing the cash. The CPS process made it easier for the
beneficiaries to receive their social grants by bringing the grants closer to
them it didn’t segregate those with bank accounts and those without including
the older persons and people with disabilities.
With the new system in process, it raises a lot of questions on how will
this system work for the better good of all the social grant recipients.
Further to the above, Minister of social development Susan
Shabangu has recently met with the South African National Taxi association to
find ways of bringing the taxi industry on board regarding the SASSA payment
transition process. In
Cash transportation is becoming increasingly risky following
the recent cash-in-transit heists, the South African Social Security together
with the South African Post Office collaborated and took a decision to reduce
the number of social grant beneficiaries at cash payment points. Sassa aims to
do away with cash components of social services and urges their beneficiaries
to move cash payments to using the new card which is the safest.
The 2018 SASSA
Changes
As a result, Sassa has recently launched a new card for its
beneficiaries. The use of the new card
system is a priority but in order for them to successfully move their
beneficiaries away from cash, the agency needs to replace old Sassa cards by
the new Post office cards. The new cards are reliable and do not attract any
charges, the first card and one card replacement is free. It allows for free
monthly services including unlimited Point of Sale purchases, unlimited pin
resets at SASSA offices, three cash
withdrawals at merchants, retailers, POS devices.
a statement released
by SASSA, the minister mentioned that it was realized that there may be a need
for transport to take the elderly from certain areas for them to receive their
money and safely come back. “We do not want a last minute thing where we just
stop taxis to take people to receive their money, we want a proper arrangement
that is why we are starting the engagement with the taxi industry,” she
explains.
REASON BEHIND THE
SASSA CHANGES
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