‘Pensioners should NOT pay VAT on food stuff’: Sparks debate over grant

Comments flooding a recent The South African article show growing frustration among South Africa’s elderly grant SASSA beneficiaries, with many demanding sweeping changes to how and when their money reaches them.

One commenter argued that recognition of pensioners shouldn’t be limited to a single day, insisting that basic dignity around food affordability should be a daily priority, not an occasional gesture.

VAT exemption and bank charges top the list of demands

Central to the frustration is the call to scrap VAT on essential food items for pensioners, alongside a demand that banks stop deducting fees and withdrawal charges from grant accounts. Commenters argue that between VAT on groceries and bank charges eating into already-stretched budgets, many pensioners are left with far less than the amount SASSA intended to pay out.

Several respondents pointed out that specials and discounted food quantities are rarely available around payday, meaning pensioners miss out on savings when they most need them.

Calls for grants to be paid before month-end, not after

Beyond cost-cutting measures, readers want SASSA to shift payment dates earlier in the month, ideally on the first day, the day before, or the nearest Sunday, rather than leaving beneficiaries to stretch old funds into a new month. One reader highlighted that surviving on R2 400 a month is already nearly impossible without additional delays or deductions that further complicate things. Another commenter suggested that late payments may generate hidden interest that benefits intermediary institutions rather than the pensioners themselves, raising further questions about transparency in how funds move from the government to the recipient.

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