SASSA grants explained at public meeting Sassa dispels rumours of a VOUCHER that is handed out to the underprivileged with a detailed presentation by Evelyn Keokame and Chris Welcome. The rumour that Sassa was handing out VOUCHERS finally have been dispelled, thanks to a public meeting on Sassa’s social grant system.The meeting was held at the Roodepoort Town Hall on Tuesday (2 July) due to popular demand for these ‘vouchers’. The demand reached a peak in May when residents bombarded the office in Roodepoort CBD, seeking such vouchers and forcing it to shut its doors temporarily (Roodepoort record editions 16 and 23 May).Ward Councillors Gert Niemand and Marianne Kemp coordinated a meeting at which two Sassa representatives, Gavin Bakada and Vincent Mtshali, explained their social grant system in full detail, welcoming all questions on the matter. They told the crowd of the seven types of grants available, but placed emphasis on the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant. This grant was believed to come in THE FORM of a voucher worth R1 300, and some believed it was granted by the ANC.“This grant is STRICTLY to alleviate the need of persons who find themselves in unforeseen hardship, and it is a temporary and immediate material assistance,” said Bakada. “The grant is awarded to residents with insufficient means if they are awaiting another approved grant, are deemed medically unfit, receive no maintenance monies from the parent/s of children they look after, if the breadwinner of a household passed away or in THE CASE of disaster management.”Bakada emphasised that one person won’t be granted an SRD and another social grant. “There is a process by which an SRD is granted; there are prescribed forms, approval periods, required documentation, receipts and a full REGISTRATION process.”Bakada, supported by copies of Sassa’s information on SRDs, explained that an SRD is paid out monthly to its beneficiaries, but it won’t exceed a period of three months. Those applying for any social grant are to undergo a means test, taking the person’s means into account for the grant and to decide HOW MUCH MONEY will be paid out.“A means test must be applied for for every grant.” Types of social grants: • Child Support Grant (CSG) • Foster Child Grant (FCG) • Care Dependency Grant (CDG) • Disability Grant (DG) • Older Persons Grant (OPG) • War Veteran Grant (WVG) • Grant-in-aid (GIA) • In special circumstances, a Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Documents necessary to APPLY for an SRD: • ID or BIRTH CERTIFICATE of the applicant, his or her spouse and the children dependent on them. • Proof of spousal relationship. • Proof of insufficient means (a declaration of assets and income). • Where applicable, proof of admission of his or her SPOUSE to a prison, treatment centre or hospital. • Proof of temporary MEDICAL disability. • The Agency may in exceptional circumstances (when the documents are lost, stolen or destroyed) allow an APPLICATION of social relief to be completed, attested and approved in absence of the required documentation. CONTACT Sassa:• Sassa Roodepoort OFFICES at corner of Hoofd Street and Van Wyk Street, Roodepoort.• Sassa Roodepoort offices on 011 279 7551/ 5/ 8.• Sassa website at HTTP://sassa.gov.za/ Mathilde Myburgh | 4 July 2014
Posted on: Fri, 04 Jul 2014 13:43:37 +0000
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