An urgent call has been made to SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) grant beneficiaries to obtain the new gold Sassa card before December 15, or they won’t be paid out in January.
Sassa said a number of beneficiaries were still using the old card.
Black Sash national advocacy manager Hoodah Abrahams-Fayker said beneficiaries needed to visit Sassa offices or the SA Post Office to obtain the new card. A Black Sash helpline is available to those experiencing difficulty obtaining a new card.
“Recipients of child grants, disability grants and old-age grants (should) waste no time getting the new gold card. Beneficiaries should not give out their ID or PIN to anyone making ‘special offers’ or who say they are from Sassa. Sassa has no reason to make special offers to grant beneficiaries or sell any services which would require deductions from grants,” said Abrahams-Fayker.
Sassa regional spokesperson Shivani Wahab said there were several beneficiary scams on social media.
Wahab said beneficiaries should be aware that Sassa brought its December payment cycle forward for beneficiaries who collect their money from ATMs and stores.
Beneficiaries who receive money from cash vans and at community halls will be paid from December 3, according to payment schedules communicated to the different communities. Cash payments will be done on different days in different pay-points.The Black Sash helpline number
The Black Sash helpline number is: 0726633739.