The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has announced that pensioners and disability grant recipients will be paid out on 30 March while all other grant payments will be paid out on 1 April.
The first set of payments will run over a course of two days.
SASSA Director of Marketing and Communications Shivani Wahab says this decision was made due to the concerns raised by residents in light of the Covid-19 virus.
“It is important to stress that payments on the first two days will be for the elderly and people living with disabilities,” he says.
“Beneficiaries who normally collect their grants at cash pay points will be able to collect their grants at the pay points from Friday, 3 April, according to the different specific dates communicated to them in the previous payment cycle.
“This emphasis on prioritising the older person and disability grants is an effort to ease congestion at retailers and bank infrastructure the risk of infection is minimised.”
Beneficiaries should also note that payout points will only be allowing 100 people at a time as per the restrictions stipulated by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“Additional measures will be put in place to manage the numbers at cash pay points to ensure that hygiene protocols for everyone are followed and social distancing is maintained,” adds Wahab.
“SASSA will ensure that the number of clients being serviced at any one time does not exceed the national set number of 100 people.”
She says beneficiaries do not have to worry as pay points will have sanitisers and with additional pay points made available to ensure there is no overcrowding.
“This will increase the speed of serving clients to ensure that there is full compliance with provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2002, as amended,” Wahab added.