Thousands of disability grants processed, says Sassa
By Shakirah Thebus
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Cape Town - The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) said it has finalised 37 900 Temporary Disability Grant (TDG) medical assessments in the Western Cape, exceeding the number of appointments booked.
This follows the lagging of medical reassessments causing the delay in the renewal of TDG. As a result, long queues could be seen at Sassa offices, with the elderly and sick queuing overnight in an attempt to be seen to.
Around 35 332 appointments were made for medical assessments, with 37 900 completed by March 31.
Following the countrywide lockdown, all lapsed TDG grants were extended until the end of December 2020. The grants were extended to assist those who were unable to re-apply and to provide financial respite, during the lockdown period.
WC temporary disability grant beneficiaries allegedly still not paid Social Development MEC Sharna Fernandez met with SASSA on Monday about the nearly 53,000 grants that were suspended at the end of December. FILE: Frustated Gugulethu residents who waited for a full day at the Sassa office and were not assisted, rallied together and confronted Sassa CEO Busisiwe Memela about the problems they were encountering at the office. Picture: Kaylynn Palm/Eyewitness News.
CAPE TOWN - There are concerns that temporary disability grant beneficiaries have still not been assessed or paid.
Social Development MEC Sharna Fernandez met with Sassa on Monday about the nearly 53,000 grants that were suspended at the end of December.
Sassa missed its own deadline on grants, says Black Sash
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Cape Town - The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has missed a self-imposed March 31 deadline to clear the temporary disability grant (TDG) backlog in the province, according to veteran social justice organisation Black Sash.
Black Sash national director Lynette Maart said: “Sassa has made good progress towards resolving the temporary disability grant issue, but has not cleared the entire backlog.
“The Black Sash community monitoring in the Western Cape revealed that the medical assessments of several temporary disability grant applicants is only scheduled after the March 31 deadline.
“Delays in the reassessment process leaves some individuals and households vulnerable, without income and food. Sassa must honour its commitment and immediately clear the remaining backlog,” said Maart.
Western Cape government budgets R60m to address GBV
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Cape Town - The Western Cape government has this year budgeted R60.4 million to address and prevent gender-based violence (GBV), according to Premier Alan Winde.
This figure is R59.9 million up from the R557 841 budgeted in the 2018/19 financial year and R14.2 million more than the 2019/20 financial year.
Winde revealed these figures in a written reply to a question that had been posed by ANC provincial social development spokesperson Gladys Bakubaku-Vos.
Bakubaku-Vos wanted to know what measures the province had in place to stop GBV. She said: “What are the details and can I have a breakdown of the provincial government’s expenditure on measures aimed at preventing and addressing GBV from 2019 to date?”