June Sees Major Income Checks as Sassa Targets Hidden Earnings
In a sweeping move to curb grant fraud, the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has suspended payments to over 210,000 beneficiaries flagged for failing to declare their full income. The action follows intensified income verification procedures and forms part of new compliance measures introduced by the National Treasury.
According to a statement released on Tuesday, Sassa conducted credit bureau cross-checks and uncovered a substantial number of beneficiaries who may have breached the Social Assistance Act. This law mandates that all applicants must report every source of income during the grant application process and notify Sassa of any subsequent financial changes.
“Failure to comply with these requirements constitutes a violation of the Act and may result in corrective action,” the agency warned.
As a result, affected beneficiaries will not receive their grants during the upcoming June payment cycle, which begins Tuesday, June 3. These individuals have been given a 30-day window to visit their nearest Sassa office for a full review. If they fail to act, their grants risk being permanently suspended.
Biometric Verification and Smart IDs Now a Priority
The crackdown doesn’t stop at income checks. Sassa has also started implementing biometric verification for individuals lacking a standard South African ID number. This added layer of security is intended to root out identity fraud, especially among recipients of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant and other key social assistance programs.
Grant recipients using outdated green bar-coded ID books have been strongly urged to switch to the more secure smart ID cards, citing fraud vulnerabilities associated with the older identification format.
These new checks are being extended across all grant types—child support, old age, disability, and care dependency—with data cross-referencing from government departments such as Home Affairs, Correctional Services, and the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).
Phased Rollout and Tightening Oversight
Sassa spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi confirmed the implementation of these new Treasury-mandated protocols will occur in phases to accommodate available resources at local offices. However, he emphasized that oversight will be comprehensive, with increased scrutiny of both financial activity and identity verification.
“Beneficiaries who fail to comply with this process risk having their grants suspended. Continued non-compliance may lead to the permanent lapsing of their grants,” reiterated the agency.
This decisive action marks one of the largest anti-fraud operations undertaken by Sassa and signals a new era of tighter regulation, driven by real-time data analysis and national security cooperation.