NATIONAL NEWS - In a press statement today, the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) communicated the measures implemented to restore social grant administration services under Level 4 Lockdown restrictions with particular reference to the Disability Management Programme.
The Agency provides access to disability related grants in the form of the Disability Grants, Care Dependency Grants and Grants-in-Aid. It further contracts doctors (about 400 doctors nationally) to conduct assessments to confirm the extent of the impact of the disability as a pre-requisite for any application for disability related grants.
Assessments, where not conducted by SASSA contracted doctors, are done by the Department of Health Doctors. The majority of the assessments are conducted from Health facilities.
Under level 5 restrictions, SASSA local offices were closed and unable to provide any grant application services at all.
With the lessening of the lockdown restrictions, SASSA has been able to start re-opening the local offices with limited staff present, in line with the approved directives.
In order to start phasing in services at local offices, SASSA will be focusing on Old Age Grant applications on Mondays and Tuesdays and Child Support and Foster Child grant applications on Wednesday and Thursdays. Fridays are reserved for any overflow from the previous days in the week, as well as to finalise those applications which could not be finalised just prior to lockdown.
The temporary suspension of applications and related activities for any grant which requires a medical assessment continues. This affects applications for disability and care dependency grants, as well as grants in aid. This is as a result of SASSA not being able to have access to health facilities at this time.
In an attempt to circumvent the negative impact this limitation on services provided may have, the Minister of Social Development through Directions signed on 9 May 2020 has approved the following:
i) Temporary disability grants which lapsed in February and March 2020, must be reinstated and continue to be paid from the date they were suspended until end of October 2020;
ii) Temporary disability grants which did not lapse during April 2020 must continue to be paid until end of October 2020;
iii) Temporary disability grants which are due to lapse in May 2020 and
June 2020 must continue to be paid until end of October 2020
iv) Care dependency and foster care grants which lapsed during the period beginning from February 2020 to April 2020 must be reinstated and continue to be paid until end of October 2020; and
v) Care dependency and foster care grants which lapsed during May 2020 or are due to lapse when the care dependent child turns 18 years of age, will not lapse until the end of October 2020 and must continue to be paid until end of October 2020.
SASSA is already working on reinstating the grants which fall in the above categories and payment will be effected before the end of May.
This should enable those beneficiaries to continue receiving an income in the short term, while arrangements are made, other conditions permitting, for the application process for the disability-related grants to resume.
SASSA will continue assessing the situation in order to determine when the full suite of services may resume and will make public announcements in this regard. We would like to reiterate that the non-availability of services for our clients who require medical assessments has not been taken lightly. However, we have had to take the current situation in the country in account. The restriction on access to health facilities for emergencies and COVID-19 related services only, has informed this decision.
Your support of the measures implemented, and assistance in ensuring that this message reaches those who are impacted will be appreciated. Please do not hesitate to contact Ms Dianne Dunkerley on 012 400 2066 or 083 289 5594 for any further information or clarity.
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