Latest news with #PasekaLetsatsi
The Citizen
a day ago
- Business
- The Citizen
Sassa ‘fraudsters' could face charges if they don't update income status
The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) urged beneficiaries who no longer qualify for social grants but continue to receive payments to update their income status. It warned that failure to do so might lead to criminal charges being pursued against those beneficiaries. This follows a joint investigation with credit bureaus revealing that about 210 000 individuals have been fraudulently receiving the grant despite changes in their income status. Read more: Sassa delays June payments over undisclosed income Sassa spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi said the agency discovered that some beneficiaries failed to disclose alternative incomes, with some using multiple bank accounts to separate employment earnings from grant funds. Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, he urged beneficiaries who are still receiving the grants despite a change in their income to voluntarily visit their nearest Sassa office to update their income status. He noted that beneficiaries have been given two weeks [starting from June 2] to present themselves at their nearest Sassa office with the necessary documentation. 'They have to ask the Sasssa official to update their status.' Also read: Sassa announces June grant payment days He further warned that failure to comply could lead to criminal charges being pursued against beneficiaries. 'We don't want to go to that level; that is why we are appealing to them to do the right thing.' He revealed that some beneficiaries were identified as public servants. 'When it's a public servant, we have a Personnel and Salary System number, so we can trace them easily. We can block the grant and recover government resources given fraudulently.' Sassa hopes to avoid taking legal action but will assess compliance after the two-week deadline. 'We will evaluate the response rate and commitments made. A report from our fraud management unit will guide the next steps.' Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We'd love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts! Related article: Sassa extends deadline to swift to new cards At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
5 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
Sassa grant payments delayed due to undisclosed income
THE South African Social Security Agency (Sassa), in collaboration with registered Credit Bureaus, has identified 210 000 social grant beneficiaries who appear to be receiving income that was not disclosed to the agency. As a result, this month's grant payments will be delayed for some of the affected beneficiaries. Sassa said according to the Social Assistance Act and its regulations, beneficiaries are legally required to fully disclose all sources of income during their initial application. Also read: Metro police enforce zero-tolerance policy on illegal truck parking Beneficiaries are also obligated to inform Sassa of any changes to their financial circumstances after their application has been approved. Spokesperson for Sassa Paseka Letsatsi said failure to comply with these requirements constitutes a violation of the Act and may result in corrective action. 'As part of this initiative, social grant payments for the affected beneficiaries will be delayed in the June 2025 payment cycle. These individuals are required to present themselves at their nearest Sassa local offices for a grant review within 30 days from this notice date, in line with Regulation 30 of the Social Assistance Act. Beneficiaries who fail to comply with this process risk having their grants suspended. Continued non-compliance may lead to the permanent lapsing of their grants,' said Letsatsi. Letsatsi said the initiative is aimed at ensuring that beneficiaries confirm any changes in their financial circumstances and update their personal details. 'It also seeks to address potential inclusion errors in the current social security system. A beneficiary may have qualified for a grant at the time of application, but improved material conditions over time may render them ineligible,' said Letsatsi. Also read: How to apply for an ID For further details on the Sassa social grant fraud cases, click here. Sassa has encouraged all beneficiaries to disclose any alternative sources of income and to report any additional bank accounts not previously declared. Those beneficiaries still using the green bar-coded ID book are urged to replace it with the smart ID card, due to the increased risk of fraud associated with the older ID format. 'Sassa reiterates its zero-tolerance stance on fraud, and should there be evidence of any officials colluding with beneficiaries to defraud the system, immediate disciplinary and legal action will be taken to safeguard the integrity of the Agency and prevent financial losses,' Letsatsi added. For more information on grant reviews, clients are urged to contact the Sassa toll-free customer care line on 0800 60 1011 or GrantEnquiries@ For more Southlands Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
28-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Over 200,000 social grant beneficiaries flagged for fraud by SASSA, June payments delayed
SASSA has flagged over 210,000 social grant beneficiaries, who were receiving the grant fraudulently. Image: File The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has identified more than 200,000 social grant beneficiaries who failed to disclose their income truthfully, the agency announced. The agency, in collaboration with registered credit bureaus, has identified approximately 210,000 beneficiaries who appear to be receiving income they have not reported. As a result, their June 2025 payment cycle will be delayed. According to SASSA spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi, beneficiaries are legally required to disclose all sources of income during their initial application, in accordance with the Social Assistance Act and its regulations. 'They are also obligated to inform SASSA of any changes to their financial circumstances after their application has been approved,' Letsatsi said. 'Failure to comply with these requirements constitutes a violation of the Act and may result in corrective action.' Letsatsi confirmed that social grant payments for the affected individuals will be delayed in the June 2025 payment cycle. He warned that failing to report within 30 days would lead to a grant suspension. 'These individuals are required to present themselves at their nearest SASSA local offices for a grant review within 30 days from this notice date, in line with Regulation 30 of the Social Assistance Act,' he said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Meanwhile, the agency has not disclosed which provinces have the highest number of fraudulent cases and which grants they were receiving. Letsatsi said beneficiaries who do not comply with the review process risk having their grants suspended. 'Continued non-compliance may lead to the permanent lapsing of their grants.' The initiative is aimed at ensuring that beneficiaries update their financial and personal details and address potential inclusion errors in the social security system. 'A beneficiary may have qualified for a grant at the time of application, but improved material conditions over time may render them ineligible,' Letsatsi said. He encouraged all beneficiaries to disclose any alternative sources of income and report any bank accounts not previously declared. 'Furthermore, beneficiaries still using the green bar-coded ID book are urged to replace it with the smart ID card, due to the increased risk of fraud associated with the older ID format,' he said. Letsatsi added that should evidence emerge of any officials colluding with beneficiaries to defraud the system, immediate disciplinary and legal action will be taken. IOL News
The Herald
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald
Double-dipping alert: Sassa delays grants for 210,000 beneficiaries
The SA Social Security Agency (Sassa), in collaboration with registered credit bureaus, says it will delay June payments to more than 210,000 social grant beneficiaries who appear to be receiving income that was not truthfully disclosed to the agency. Sassa spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi spokesperson said: "These individuals are required to present themselves at their nearest Sassa office for a grant review within 30 days from the notice date, in line with regulation 30 of the Social Assistance Act. "Beneficiaries who fail to comply with the process risk having their grants suspended. Continued non-compliance may lead to the permanent lapsing of their grants." According to the Social Assistance Act and its regulations, applicants are legally obligated to declare all sources of income when applying and to inform Sassa of any changes in their financial situation. Letsatsi said: "Failure to comply with the requirements constitutes a violation of the act and may result in corrective action."
News24
27-05-2025
- Business
- News24
Second income trouble: SASSA identifies 210 000 possible ‘double-dippers'
SASSA has delayed June social grant payments for 210 000 beneficiaries after discovering they may have not disclosed additional income. Affected beneficiaries must present themselves to SASSA offices for a review within 30 days to avoid suspension or permanent cancellation of their grants. SASSA emphasised its zero-tolerance policy for fraud and urged all beneficiaries to update income information and report undeclared accounts. The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has discovered that 210 000 beneficiaries allegedly receive social grants despite getting a second income. This came to light after SASSA and registered credit bureaus investigated recipients who may not have truthfully disclosed their extra income. Speaking to News24 on Tuesday, SASSA spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi said the suspected 'double-dippers' would have their grants frozen, and SASSA would ask them to come in and present 'necessary documents'. He said that if they are able to do so, their accounts will be unfrozen; 'if they do not come forward, their grants will be permanently stopped'. READ | 113 Sassa officials implicated in corruption over 3 years According to Letsatsi, the Social Assistance Act and its regulations state that beneficiaries are legally required to 'fully disclose all sources of income during their initial application'. He said beneficiaries were also obliged to inform SASSA of any changes in their financial situation after their application was approved. 'Failure to comply with these requirements constitutes a violation of the Act and may result in corrective action,' he said. In a statement, Letsatsi said that the grant payments to the 'affected beneficiaries' will be delayed in the June payment cycle. The recipients in question have been asked to present themselves to their local SASSA offices for a grant review within 30 days of Tuesday. SASSA said it hopes the initiative will address potential errors in the social security system. It stated: A beneficiary may have qualified for a grant at the time of application, but improved material conditions over time may render them ineligible. It further encouraged beneficiaries not identified to disclose all extra income sources and report any additional bank accounts they may have not declared. It also asked that beneficiaries who have not yet done so, to replace their old green ID books with the smart ID card 'due to the increased risk of fraud associated with the older ID format'. 'SASSA reiterates its zero-tolerance stance on fraud, and should there be evidence of any officials colluding with beneficiaries to defraud the system, immediate disciplinary and legal action will be taken to safeguard the integrity of the Agency and prevent financial losses,' Letsatsi concluded.
