The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) is reviewing 352,000 social grant beneficiaries during the 2026/27 financial year. Minister of Social Development Dina Pule revealed that 169,000 beneficiaries have been flagged for further investigation after failing to respond to notices to appear for grant reviews. The review programme aims to check if beneficiaries still qualify for the grants they receive.
Beneficiaries are given 90 days to appear for the review, after which those who fail to do so may be flagged for further investigation. Pule made the revelation in a written parliamentary reply after being asked about SASSA's review of more than 350,000 social grant beneficiaries. The reviews had identified three common reasons for grants being lapsed: beneficiaries who were no longer eligible due to changed circumstances, payments continuing after beneficiaries had died, and beneficiaries who could not be traced.
The review programme has a target of 352,000 beneficiaries for the 2026/27 financial year, with 105,508 reviews conducted in the first quarter. Pule said the first-quarter reviews were focused exclusively on Child Support Grant beneficiaries, representing the final batch of cases identified through SASSA's risk-based data analysis. The provincial targets show that KwaZulu-Natal has the highest number of planned reviews at 72,187.
Gauteng has 62,656 planned reviews, followed by Limpopo with 44,530, and the Eastern Cape with 44,119. The Western Cape has a target of 42,627 reviews, while Mpumalanga has 32,143, North West 23,827, Free State 20,267, and the Northern Cape 9,644. SASSA is still conducting risk-based analysis to determine how many Disability Grant and Older Persons Grant beneficiaries would be included in the remaining reviews.
The reviews aim to identify beneficiaries who are no longer eligible for grants due to changed circumstances. SASSA cited cases where beneficiaries are no longer eligible, payments continue after a beneficiary's death, or beneficiaries cannot be traced because their contact or address details are outdated. The agency is working to ensure that grants are only paid to eligible beneficiaries.
Minister Pule's written parliamentary reply provided insight into the scope and progress of the review programme. The programme is expected to help SASSA reduce the risk of fraudulent transactions and ensure that grants are only paid to eligible beneficiaries. The reviews will also help SASSA to update its records and ensure that beneficiaries' information is accurate.
The review programme is part of SASSA's efforts to improve its services and ensure that grants are only paid to eligible beneficiaries. The agency will continue to conduct reviews and investigations to ensure the integrity of the social grant system. SASSA's efforts aim to ensure that grants are only paid to those who are eligible and that the system is not abused.
Key points
- 169,000 social grant beneficiaries flagged for further investigation
- SASSA reviews 352,000 social grant beneficiaries during 2026/27 financial year
- Beneficiaries given 90 days to appear for grant reviews before being flagged for investigation
