Dylan Bettencourt
More than 214,000 social grants were paid out to dead beneficiaries between January 2020 and October 2021, Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu revealed in a written reply to questions tabled by the Democratic Alliance.
A further 59,000 people were paid a R350 social relief of distress (SRD) grant after they had passed away.
Asked how grants can be paid after someone has passed away, Minister Zulu said the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) uses data provided to them from the Department of Home Affairs with several of the deaths being reported to the department late.
Zulu said that some grants are paid out after an individual has lost their life.
She added that Sassa was already recovering portions of the money claimed after the deaths of the beneficiaries.
“The total number of vouchers for the R350 social relief of distress grant extracted after the death of the beneficiary for the period under discussion is 59,089. Again, this is the total number of vouchers extracted but the actual number paid out will only be known on receipt of the full reconciliation from the South African Post Office,” Zulu said.
Social grants are a major part of South African society as the R350 grant supports 33% of people across the country with one-third of South Africans depending on grant payments every month.
Image source: @EastCoastRadio
