Dates changed for Sassa grant payments
The SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) has announced date changes for the payment of grants in May 2020.
Disability grants and those for the elderly will be paid on the fourth of May, while others will be paid on the sixth.
The grant payment for April was brought forward to the 30th of March with the first two days being dedicated to people with disabilities and older persons.
This was to ensure that people bought their food supply without being caught in long lines or exposing themselves to the coronavirus, during the first week of the national lockdown.
However, chaos erupted at some locations, including an incident in Dobsonville where young people were caught on camera pushing the elderly in order to get paid first.
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In a statement, Sassa says in response to the matter it consulted some role players on the way forward.
"In response to this unpleasant experience, SASSA started consulting role players such as National Treasury, the South African Post Office, the banking association, retailers, and the consumer goods council among others.
"What came out of the consultations is that people with disabilities and the aged need to be protected from the month-end rush at payment outlets and therefore payment needs to be staggered in such a way that these categories of beneficiaries receive their grants before others.
"To effect this, SASSA will make use of two payment files. The first one will cover the aged and the disabled while the second payment file will cover all other grant types.
"Some older persons use one card to also receive child support and foster child grants. In such cases, they will be able to access all linked grants from the 4th of every month," says Sassa CEO Busisiwe Memela.