Why one SASSA pensioner dreads the first week of every month

Elize Breytenbach, a retired Gauteng pensioner, says late SASSA payments are wreaking havoc on her monthly finances. Breytenbach has received the Older Person’s Grant for more than five years and shared her frustrations in The South African’s SASSA grant survey.

She lives alone in her own home and uses her grant mainly for food and groceries. Like many older South Africans, she regularly struggles to make ends meet and runs out of money before the month ends.

Late payments leave the pensioners’ debit orders bouncing

Breytenbach pointed to one issue above all others.

“Biggest problem is the late payment dates which result in debit orders being reversed,” she said.

She explained that the grant once arrived on a fixed, predictable day.

“Previously the payment date was always last working day of the month,” Breytenbach said.

That certainty, she says, has disappeared.

“Now payment dates can be as late as 5th of month and sometimes only the 7th of the month,” she added.

When her grant lands after her debit orders run, those payments fail. Reversed debit orders can lead to bank penalty fees and strained relationships with service providers, adding costs a pensioner on a fixed income can least afford.

Living alone with no buffer

Breytenbach has no one else to lean on when payments arrive late. Nobody else depends on her income, but nobody else contributes to the household either.

The cost of living and rising food prices top her list of financial worries.

She has also experienced a late or missing grant payment first-hand.

Poor communication and a simple request

Breytenbach rates SASSA’s communication with recipients as very poor.

She has never applied for additional government support, explaining that she did not know what else was available to her.

If she could change one thing about SASSA, her answer was direct: increase the grant amount.

Her experience highlights how a shift of just a few days can ripple through a pensioner’s entire monthly budget.

Win R2 000 in the South African SASSA grant survey

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Take part in our survey and stand a chance to win R2 000. Your responses help us tell the stories that matter.