Urgent Renewal Required for Expiring Sassa Beneficiary Cards.The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) in the Free State has issued a critical advisory to beneficiaries holding gold Sassa cards set to expire on December 31st of this year. Failing to renew these cards before the expiration date may result in the inability to receive funds.
Continued Validity of Gold Cards
Sassa has confirmed that the gold cards are still valid, allowing beneficiaries to continue making withdrawals. In the Free State, there are currently 355,008 state grant beneficiaries utilizing these cards, which will only expire at the end of December.
Choice of Payment Method for Beneficiaries
Relebohile Maphasa, the provincial spokesperson of Sassa, emphasizes that beneficiaries renewing their cards have the option to select an alternative payment method for their social grant payments through various legal financial institutions, merchants, and banks.
“To access payments through alternative channels of their choice, beneficiaries can complete the necessary form available at local Sassa offices and service points,” Maphasa stated. The card renewal form is also accessible on Sassa’s website at sassa.gov.za, with recipients required to complete Annexure C on the method of payment form.
Required Documentation for Payment Method Requests
Beneficiaries submitting payment method requests at Sassa offices or service points must provide the following documents:
- A valid identity document (ID)
- Proof of bank account (bank or merchant confirmation letter)
- Three months’ bank statement displaying the client’s personal details, including the names as they appear on the identity document.
Free State State Grant Dependency
Currently, it is estimated that approximately 586,165 people in the Free State depend on state grants out of a population of roughly 3 million in the province.
The majority of beneficiaries receive child support grants, followed by elderly individuals and persons with disabilities. Additionally, 423,996 individuals receive the Covid-19 social relief of distress grant of R350, which was introduced by the South African government in May 2020 as a response to the global pandemic. Initially set for a six-month duration, this special grant has been extended until March 2024.