Seniors rally for respect and improved services from SASSA at Parliament

“Our seniors deserve to be treated with respect, integrity, and dignity,” says Pat Lee, echoing the call of hundreds of elderly residents who took to the streets this week.

More than 200 senior citizens marched from the Grand Parade to Parliament on Tuesday, August 26, demanding better service delivery from the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA). Their main concern: the difficulties and poor treatment they face when trying to access their state pensions.

Despite mobility challenges, many of the pensioners travelled by bus and train from across Cape Town — including Mitchells Plain, Bellville, Retreat, Grassy Park, Muizenberg, Delft, Parow Valley, Kleinvlei, Blue Downs, Strandfontein, Belhar, and Eerste River — to make their voices heard.

Ms Lee, 69,  from Muizenberg, who helped organise the march, handed over a memorandum of grievances to a Democratic Alliance (DA) official who collected it as no parliamentary officials were available. Some of the grievances raised include: an increase in the current state pension; asking SASSA to reinstate their full pension amounts for those who were paid less during the review process; better service at the various SASSA offices that are not treating the seniors with respect and dignity, and better communication to assist in the review process.

“The SASSA officials are not treating the seniors with respect, according to our constitution, they have the right to be respected, and there is economic abuse where SASSA is paying seniors less and taking away their little money means they are taking their food away from them,” said Ms Lee.

Jeff van Wyk, 69, from Parow Valley said: “Many of the seniors who went for the review system found that money was deducted from their SASSA grants,” he said.

Mr van Wyk said many of the seniors were punished because they had money in their bank accounts that came from their families, and SASSA saw it fit to pay them less.

“SASSA regarded it as an extra income during the review process,” he said.

Delores Krige, 62, from Elsies River said she attended the march as she always had problems at the Bellville SASSA offices. “I am hoping that SASSA can solve their problems to help us,” she said.

Pastor Henry Ludick, 68, from the Belhar Voice of Hope Church, said he stood with everyone who marched. “Whenever we get our pension, we must account for each cent. What can R2 200 do per month? There is rent, water, and electricity to pay, what do I sit with then?” he said.

SASSA executive support manager, Clive Jansen said the review process was necessary for every beneficiary where there are changes in their life circumstances. Mr Jansen said the information they seek in the review process includes a certified copy of their ID, three months' bank statements, if they are not working, they need proof of their last discharge of employment, any documentation that reflects additional income sources, and whether the beneficiary owns more than one property.

“Failure to do so, the beneficiary is given notice of suspension, and another month to complete the review,” he said.

Mr Jansen said if the review process was not done, the beneficiary was given notice that their grant would be cancelled, and if it is cancelled, the beneficiary would have to reapply to be eligible for their grants.

In regards to amounts being deducted from the seniors' monthly grant, Mr Jansen said SASSA does an evaluation of the income and assets of the person applying, as well as his/her spouse, to determine whether the person’s means are below a stipulated amount. 

“This test is a way of determining whether a person qualifies to receive a grant, as grants are indeed meant for those who have insufficient means to support themselves,” he said. Mr Jansen said if beneficiaries have more private income, then they would receive a smaller government support. 

Mr Jansen said the current card replacement process from the current gold SASSA card to the black Postbank card was currently suspended, and seniors could still draw their SASSA with their gold card.

Post Office spokesperson, Bongani Diako said, “All Sassa Gold Cards continue to work, and beneficiaries are still able to use these cards for their payments. Postbank will communicate to the beneficiaries timeously when the Card Replacement Programme resumes,” he said.

Mr Jansen said that if anyone was unhappy with the review process, they could appeal the process by visiting the national Department of Social Development website www.sassa.gov.za/appeals/appeal