Sassa grant applicants face challenges

TEMPORARY disability grant recipients hoping to reapply have to wait up to six months, according to the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) in the Western Cape.

This emerged when Sassa briefed the Standing Committee on Social Development about the lengthy temporary disability grant renewal and Social Relief of Distress Grant (R350 SRD grant) process only being online.

Sassa's Western Cape general manager, Sibusiso Nhlangothi, said the six-month delay was due to a lack of doctors to conduct medical assessments.

“The disability grant is reviewed once every five years, while the temporary disability grant takes six months. The challenge is that the National Treasury has issued an instruction that we hold any procurement because we are in the process of getting more doctors. At this stage there are very few, hence people are given longer dates for assessments. Once the Treasury gives the go-ahead we will go out for tenders,” he said.

DA MPL Ricardo Mackenzie said he received a complaint from a disabled grant receipt who was informed in March to reapply, but will only see a doctor for assessment in August.

Nhlangothi also presented the latest information on the application processes for the new SRD grants.

The Covid-19 R350 grant was initially introduced in May 2020 under the Covid-19 national State of Disaster regulations. Following the lifting of the national State of Disaster, the grant will be provided under a new legislative framework.

“There are two application channels, via WhatsApp, which is being upgraded, and the SRD website. During March 2022, the last month of the Covid-19 SRD grant, there were 1 289 767 recipients in the Western Cape. All the recipients have to reapply for the new SRD grant. The applications only commenced on April 23, 2022, and more than 9.7 million clients have already applied. Sassa received more applications in the first week of this grant than in the first week of reapplications in August 2021,” said Nhlangothi.

When a person gets rejected every month, they have to appeal until they are accepted.

Sassa's acting regional manager, Abraham Mahlangu, said the WhatsApp channel would be up and running again in June.

ANC MP Rachel Windvogel said: “My huge problem is the new process income threshold – many will be left behind. We have also been told that the WhatsApp line will be effective in June.

“In the meantime, recipients can use the internet and call a toll-free number. There is also no clarity on the UIF's part in the process.”