‘Nothing to plan’: SASSA pensioners say December will be just a struggling month

SASSA grant recipients have pushed back against the idea of planning for the festive season, saying their monthly grants barely cover the basics, let alone celebrations.

The comments, posted on The South African’s Facebook page, show that many pensioners and other beneficiaries see December as no different from the eleven months before it.

‘Nothing to look forward to’

Martie Strydom delivered one of the most widely shared responses, rejecting the notion that grant recipients have anything to plan.

“There is nothing to plan… Give us more money, maybe we can plan something, maybe a bit bigger bag of maize that will last a month, that’s all we can plan,” she wrote.

She continued: “Nothing to plan wil be just a struggling month like all the others. Nothing to look forward to.”

Strydom also aimed at those in power, suggesting that officials can afford to plan holidays to Dubai and “a nice seafood platter” while recipients continue to struggle.

December Christmas lunch out of reach

Lyn Laubser echoed the frustration, saying the festive season holds little meaning on a pension.

“Plan for Xmas! Bladdy laugh that is. Can’t buy presents or have a decent Xmas lunch on the amount they pay pensioners,” she said.

Gina Steyn kept her response short but no less painful. “No festive season for me. Money to little to survive,” she wrote.

For many older South Africans, December brings extra pressure rather than relief. Families gather, children expect gifts, and January costs such as school uniforms and stationery loom just weeks away.

Why the frustration runs deep

Grant amounts increase once a year, usually announced in the February Budget and paid from April. Yet many recipients argue that these increases fail to keep up with the rising cost of food, electricity and transport.

Strydom’s reference to a bag of maize meal highlights how basic many households’ priorities are. When a grant must stretch to feed an entire family, holiday spending falls far down the list.

Many older persons also support grandchildren and unemployed relatives on a single grant, which leaves even less room for festive extras.

The responses suggest that for a large group of grant recipients, the festive season is less about celebration and more about getting through another month.

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