Sassa crisi could lead to no grants in April

SOUTH Africa’s looming social grants crisis has created panic among Pietermaritzburg’s beneficiaries.

Recipients are in fear that by April 1 they might be left with nothing.

The crisis comes after a ruling by the Constitutional Court in April 2014 that the South African Social Security Agency’s contract with Cash Paymaster Services for payment of social grants is invalid.

Sassa was then ordered by the court to create and implement an alternative of social grant payments by March 31, 2017.

However, with less than a month left to implement a different system, the situation is unresolved and a reported 17 million recipients of social grants across the country face the possibility of their grant money not being paid on April 1.

Elderly couple Elsie and Calvin Scott who live in a home for the aged in Pietermaritzburg said without their pension grants they will struggle to survive.

A source at the home said many of the residents there could not even afford to pay the full boarding fees and only paid what they could.

The source said with rental expected to increase soon at the home, it will be even more of a calamity if grants are not paid next month.

Padca director Trevor Clowes said many pensioners and other grant beneficiaries would be in a difficult situation if the crisis is not dealt with properly and urgently.

Clowes said a solution is needed before it’s too late otherwise the country would face a major crisis.