Review of Sassa grants bite as 70 000 payments are suspended

Sassa CEO Themba Matlou. Picture: Department of Social Development The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has suspended about 70 000 social grants so far as it undergoes a review process. This was after beneficiaries failed to comply with review and life-certification requirements.

It is part of a nationwide effort to tighten controls and protect the integrity of the social assistance system. Providing an update in Cape Town on Thursday, 5 February 2026, Sassa CEO Themba Matlou said the suspensions formed part of a broader social grant review process. This process is aimed at ensuring grants are paid only to eligible beneficiaries.

“This grant review process continues to guard against the wasteful use of government resources in line with the already pressured government fiscus,” Matlou said. Sassa confirmed that for the 2025/2026 financial year, the agency planned to conduct 420 000 social grant reviews. To date, approximately 240 000 grants have been reviewed, while around 70 000 grants were suspended because beneficiaries failed to complete the required review process.

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“We must appreciate the cooperation of all affected beneficiaries who understood this process and came forward to review their social grant,” Matlou said. Sassa said the review process is already saving the government about R44 million per month, translating to approximately R500 million a year. “These efforts are aimed at preserving the sustainability of the social assistance system and ensuring that support reaches those who need it most,” Matlou said.

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