‘Where do those deductions go?’: SASSA old-age grant recipients demand answers
· The South African
Frustration is mounting among elderly SASSA beneficiaries who claim their Older Persons Grant payments have gone missing for months, with little explanation from the agency. Benjamin Coetzee described the ordeal facing many pensioners, saying “hundreds of old age Sassa people still did not get their Sassa since March, up and down every week, rain and cold, for what en then get treated badly for their own money.”
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His comment points to a pattern that has become familiar in SASSA-related discussions: elderly recipients making repeated trips to offices, only to leave empty-handed and, according to Coetzee, being treated poorly in the process.
Unexplained deductions add to the anger
Beyond missing payments, several commenters raised concerns about money being taken from grants without warning. Martina Brand asked why deductions keep appearing on old age grants with no clear reason given, questioning “where do those deductions go????” Her comment reflects a broader lack of transparency that recipients say makes it difficult to track exactly how much they’re owed or why amounts fluctuate month to month.
One commenter, whose name was not fully visible, added that grant amounts for old age and disability recipients are inadequate to begin with, noting that public health facilities often lack the medication pensioners need, forcing them to buy it privately at high cost. Their message was simple: “increase these grants.”
Even small gifts raise suspicion under means testing
The thread also touched on how SASSA’s means test can penalise pensioners for ordinary family gestures. Patrick King questioned whether the system unfairly counts everyday goodwill as income, asking, “If my child gives me a birthday present, say R1000, is that extra income?”
His comment highlights a wider concern among grant recipients that the qualifying criteria for the Older Persons Grant can feel punitive, discouraging family support rather than accounting for the real financial pressure many elderly South Africans face.
Together, the comments paint a picture of pensioners caught between delayed payments, unexplained deductions and a grant amount many feel no longer reflects the cost of living, particularly when it comes to essential medication. For many, the frustration isn’t just about missing money, but about a lack of answers from the very system meant to support them.
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