NEWS

SASSA reconsiders rejected grant applications

Johannesburg – The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has announced that it is reconsidering declined applications to get to the bottom of the reasons for rejection.

  Earlier this month, Sassa said most applications were rejected because applicants were already registered on the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) database. The high cost and turnaround time involved in the appeal process was another reason that Sassa said it was reconsidering applications rather than going the lengthier route.

  In a statement Sassa said: “In early June, close to 50% of processed applications did not qualify in terms of the criteria. Over 70% of those that did not qualify were either receiving or qualifying for UIF benefits according to the database that Sassa was using to sift through the applications. Subsequently, Sassa took a decision to request an updated database to reconsider the declined UIF cases, instead of advising the aggrieved applicants to follow the appeals route. Out of this reconsideration process, it emerged that 85% of the UIF cases that were previously deemed not to be qualifying, actually qualify. They have been approved and are being made aware of this development individually, as and when such favourable decision is reached. Everyone affected will receive an SMS requesting them to provide their banking details.”

  Sassa stats indicate that over 2.5 million applications from the over 3.2 million who applied have received their payouts.

Sassa CEO Totsie Memela said: “Updating the UIF database has brought such a relief to us and the affected beneficiaries, the numbers will rise daily until we have paid all deserving individuals who were previously declined.”

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