- A 29-year-old Atteridgeville mother says her Child Support Grant was stopped after SASSA flagged her as still employed.
- SASSA says it completed 240,000 of 420,000 flagged grant reviews in 2025/26, while about 160,000 beneficiaries did not finish the process.
A 29-year-old mother from Atteridgeville only found out her Child Support Grant had stopped when she went to collect her money in early July, and there was nothing there.
“They said I was working,” she told Scrolla.Africa.
She had worked as an assistant teacher from July to November 2025, but her contract ended last year. SASSA asked her to prove she was no longer employed.
“I had to contact where I was working and the school gave me a letter that showed my contract had ended,” she said.
She submitted the letter and was told she would receive a double payment covering both July and August. In the meantime, she had no income at all.
“I was so sad and disappointed because I am not working. That is the only source of income I receive,” she said.
She believes SASSA should warn beneficiaries before cutting their grants.
“They should just contact us and tell us that we have to review instead of just stopping the grant,” she said.
Her case comes as SASSA carries out a wider review of grants across the country. Beneficiaries whose grants are under review will not be paid during the normal three-day payment cycle. Instead, they will be paid on a fourth day.
For August, SASSA’s payment schedule is: the Older Persons Grant on 4 August, the Disability Grant on 5 August, Children’s Grants on 6 August, and grants under review on Friday, 7 August. SASSA said beneficiaries who don’t receive their money on the 4th, 5th or 6th should not panic or rush to their nearest office, payment will follow on the 7th.
SASSA said it notifies beneficiaries selected for review through SMS, and urged people to keep their contact details up to date to avoid missing these notifications.
Beneficiaries called in for review should bring a valid ID, proof of income or an affidavit if unemployed, three months of bank statements, proof of residence, and proof of marital status where applicable. Depending on the grant, additional documents may be needed, such as a child’s birth certificate for a Child Support Grant. Beneficiaries who are bedridden or medically unable to visit an office can appoint an authorised representative to act on their behalf.
SASSA said reviews must be completed during August, or grants risk being suspended and lapsing under the Social Assistance Act.
Speaking at a briefing in Hatfield on 21 July, Minister of Social Development Dina Pule said the reviews are a legal requirement to make sure grants reach only those who qualify.
“Simply put, social grant reviews help ensure that the right grant is paid to the right person, at the right time,” she said.
Pule said SASSA flagged 420,000 grants for review in the 2025/26 financial year. Of those, 240,000 reviews were completed, and about 160,000 beneficiaries did not finish the process, affecting their payments.
SASSA plans to review a further 350,000 grants in the 2026/27 financial year.
Pictured above:: An Atteridgeville mother says she only found out her Child Support Grant had been stopped when she arrived to collect it in July. This image is used for illustration purposes.
Image source: Supplied
