SASSA pensioner reveals why retirement has brought more hardship than rest

The Gauteng pensioner, in her late sixties, relies entirely on her Older Persons’ Grant each month while managing a life-threatening heart condition with no family to turn to.

Tuna receives R2 400 per month through the Older Persons’ Grant and has done so for between three and five years. She rents her home privately and is the only person relying on her income, meaning every rand must cover rent, food, and other essentials. Her biggest financial concern is the cost of living and rising food prices, a pressure shared by pensioners across the country as fixed incomes fail to keep pace with inflation.

Despite the strain, Tuna said she has had no problems with SASSA’s administrative processes and rates the agency’s communication as adequate. Her frustration lies not with bureaucracy, but with the size of the grant itself. Asked what one change she would make, she was direct: she wants the amount increased.

Living without family or medical support

Tuna described her circumstances in stark terms. She has no children or relatives who can help her financially or otherwise, no access to transport, and no medical aid, despite living with what she calls a life-threatening heart disease. She confirmed that she has gone without food in the past month, and said her grant typically runs out before the next payment arrives, leaving her exposed in the final days of each cycle.

Her situation reflects a wider pattern among South Africa’s elderly, many of whom face retirement increasingly isolated as economic pressure scatters families and unemployment among younger generations limits how much support ageing parents can expect from their children.

A working life that didn’t guarantee a secure retirement

Tuna’s administrative background and diploma point to a skilled working life, yet retirement has delivered hardship rather than rest. Her story underscores a growing gap between what South Africa’s social grants provide and what pensioners with serious health conditions and no safety net actually need to survive.

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