As the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) continues to investigate rampant identity theft in the social grant system, here are three steps to take if you discover someone is collecting money in your name.
Two students recently unearthed alleged fraud in the SRD grant system, with the Department of Social Development given 30 days to investigate before reporting to parliament.
Amid the wait for answers, several people have come forward claiming that their name was used for a grant they are not receiving.
Tips: what to do if your name is used in the grant fraud
Sassa spokesperson Sandy Godlwana said it is a problem faced by many people nationally and campaigns to educate people are being implemented.
“Sassa is aware of incidents where individuals’ details have been fraudulently used to claim the Covid-19 SRD grant of R370 without their consent.
“Sassa emphasises its commitment to addressing and preventing fraud within the social grants system,” she added.
Godlwana further gave the following tips on what to do if your name is used for grant fraud:
- Visit a Sassa Office: Bring your ID and report the issue to the staff.
- Email: Send a certified copy of your ID and a detailed report of the issue to grantenquiries@sassa.gov.za.
- Contact Sassa: Call the toll-free number, 0800 60 10 11, for immediate assistance.
Sassa assures the public that it will promptly suspend any suspected fraudulent applications and conduct thorough investigations in collaboration with law enforcement agencies to hold fraudsters accountable, she added.
Sassa aware of social grant ‘fraud breaches’
In October, the Minister of Social Development, Sisisi Tolashe said the issues raised by the two Stellenbosch students had existed since at least 2023 but admitted a culture of procrastination persisted and the department was “found wanting”.
Appearing before the portfolio committee on 23 October, Tolashe said: “We will take it upon ourselves to find out what this animal is and how much has it eaten up of the Fiscus.”
She further added that the department’s large budget, R35 billion allocated for grants, made it attractive to criminals who “make a career” out of trying to exploit the system.
Tolashe asked for a report on the issue within 30 days.
The minister said the system had struggled to keep up with the sharp increase in social grant recipients, from 2.4 million in 1998 to the current 28 million.
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