Minister Fernandez engages with SASSA regarding Temp disability grant backlog

Today, 13 January 2021, the Western Cape Minister of Social Development, Sharna Fernandez, met with the CEO of SASSA, Totsie Memela Khambula and the Regional Executive Manager for the SASSA Cape Regions, Mr Bandile Maqetuka and their team on their plans to deal with the current temporary disability grant and care dependency grant backlog.

All temporary disability grants which were supposed to have lapsed at the end of February 2020, were extended to 31 December 2020, to assist affected beneficiaries due to the pressures brought by the declaration of the National State of Disaster due to COVID 19.

Whilst SASSA is a national entity and not under the jurisdiction of the Western Cape Government, Minister Fernandez stressed the importance of resolving this crisis urgently as it affects thousands of residents in the province.

All temporary disability grants which were supposed to have lapsed at the end of February 2020, were extended to 31 December 2020, to assist affected beneficiaries due to the pressures brought by the declaration of the National State of Disaster due to COVID 19.

The Western Cape has disproportionality higher numbers of temporary disability grants (TDGs) that have expired when compared to other provinces.

Presently, 51 570 clients have been affected by the backlog in the Western Cape. The Province with the second-highest number of affected clients in KwaZulu-Natal 36 827.

The Cape Metropolitan constitutes approximately 60% of the beneficiaries currently affected by the backlog.

The Western Cape Minister of Social Development, Sharna Fernandez said, “SASSA has agreed to meet with our Department on Friday 15 January 2021, to discuss alternative solutions to address the challenges we are witnessing on the ground.

During our meeting, I appealed to SASSA, to develop a priority plan to deal with the fact that the Western Cape has the highest number of affected beneficiaries. I proposed that this plan be smart, realistic and speaks directly to the fact that temporary disability grants already lapsed at the end of December 2020.”

Minister Fernandez added, “I have also requested that SASSA clarify their contingency plan to manage the termination of the special COVID-19 grant at the end this month, given that the COVID disaster continues to impact on the livelihoods of our citizens.”

The following concerns were also highlighted:

• What is SASSA going to manage communication to various beneficiaries about their plans?
• What plans do they have in place for beneficiaries who have been turned away from SASSA offices?
• What is the immediate response going to be to assist those who are in dire need?
• Where offices are closed, those applicants will have to be re-scheduled.
• People have been forced to disregard the curfew in order to apply for grant extensions.
• Women and their children have had to put themselves at risk of contracting the coronavirus.

SASSA highlighted the following 10-point plan to address its current challenges:

1. Putting a booking system in place for screenings and assessments to prevent people from having to sleep outside SASSA local offices.
2. SASSA will phone care dependency grant beneficiaries to complete their respective application forms.
3. SASSA offices are liaising with the Department of Health (Provincial) regarding support with assessments of temporary disability grant beneficiaries. Additional doctors are also being sought from the Eastern Cape to assist.
4. Increase the number of assessment days to fast track the number of assessments being completed.
5. SASSA is in the process of establishing alternative assessments sites and the use of referral forms for applications to take the service closer to beneficiaries.
6. SASSA Head office has committed to providing sufficient funding for the implementation of these plans.
7. Improved queue management and extra staff on duty
8. Introduce cash payments of SRD grants into private bank accounts of beneficiaries. (The current SRD grant does not make provisions for cash payments. However, SASSA has highlighted that they are looking at how they can fast track payments.)
9. Overtime staff
10. Variation from current set grant type days to provide for extra time/days for TDG’s

“We will continue to monitor the plans being implemented by SASSA in addressing this humanitarian crisis, which is unfolding and leaving groupings of vulnerable people destitute,” concluded Minister Fernandez.