Sassa verifications should not compromise deserving beneficiaries, says Masango

Social development portfolio committee chairperson Bridget Masango has warned ongoing verification screening to root out fraud at the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) should not impact deserving beneficiaries.

The agency has been undergoing a review process focused on targeting individuals suspected of having additional sources of income not disclosed to the agency.

In a briefing of the social services cluster in parliament, Masango said the committee welcomed the move as a necessary intervention to root out fraudulent activity within the system, but warned the time taken to clear the system might compromise deserving recipients.

“While the verification process has not been completed, this has resulted in hardship for many beneficiaries, and has also resulted in the exclusion of possibly eligible beneficiaries the committee has cautioned against. We have called for this to be adequately addressed.

“The committee supports any intervention to rid the social grant payment system of fraud and the payment of social grants to people who are not supposed to be receiving them, but this is not supposed to be done at the expense of eligible beneficiaries.”

Masango said the problems faced by beneficiaries were urgent and equally serious. These varied from capacity at Sassa offices, the distance travelled, limited access, and the time it is taking for Sassa to conclude the verifications.

The committee chairperson said it was within the agency’s mandate to conduct the verifications, even though it took the National Treasury to apply pressure.

“National Treasury has embarked on a programme to do verifications. As we all know, the agency has been plagued by ghost beneficiaries with people who shouldn’t be receiving grants receiving them, with people who are working receiving grants and so forth.

“In trying to ensure government rids the agency of all the fraudulent activities, National Treasury took it on itself to ensure there are verifications. The verifications are in law for Sassa to conduct them. Treasury brought it to the fore, saying this has to happen, which has been very helpful.”

The social development portfolio committee chairperson referred to shocking findings arising from a recent review, saying they painted a picture of the state of affairs.

“In the year 2025/26 budget allocation for Sassa, the verifications were imposed for Sassa to implement with the goal of eliminating fraud and payment of social grants to ineligible beneficiaries. When Sassa rolled out biometric registration, bank verifications and live certifications, it reported the interventions resulted in saving no less than R34m,” she said.

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