Officials to screen ATTP recipients

THE Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has urged residents of homes worth R100 000 or less to allow staff to evaluate their income to ascertain if they are eligible for the Assistance To The Poor (ATTP) discounts.

This is after the council decided to review its ATTP policy and verify if they qualified for the subsidised services.

Since July, residents with homes worth R100 000 or less have automatically qualified for the subsidy regardless of their income.

The ATTP is geared at providing free basic services and discounted electricity to poor households.

From this month until May, ATTP officials will be going around townships to conduct the verifications.

Municipal spokesman Mthubanzi Mniki said all verifications would be done according to the policy, which states that the household income should not exceed R3 020 a month.

“The owner should reside on the property,” he said.

“ID copies of all occupants are needed and the owner should not have more than one property.

“The verification process covers all areas where a property with a value of R100 000 and less has previously been granted automatic ATTP subsidy,” he said.

Once the verification is done, those not eligible for the subsidy will be taken off the ATTP list.

“The normal credit control processes will apply, such as making the necessary payment on arrears, making a payment arrangement or disconnection and blocking of services,” Mniki said.

Budget and treasury political head Retief Odendaal assured councillors at the last council meeting that no ATTP beneficiaries would have their services cut without proper verification.