Beneficiaries of the R370 grant can now apply for the grant in person at Sassa offices, following a recent court ruling. The current system required all applications to be submitted online, which excluded many people who lacked reliable internet access and phones.
Additionally, Sassa’s previous rules rejected applicants with irregular income. The court has now ruled that these requirements are unfair and unconstitutional, allowing applicants to submit their applications in person and ensuring that those with irregular income are no longer automatically excluded.
The North Gauteng High Court made this decision on Thursday, 23 January, after a case was brought by #PayTheGrants and the Institute for Economic Justice, challenging Sassa’s regulations.
In addition to ruling against the online-only application rule, Judge Leonard Twala found that Sassa’s definitions of “income” and “financial support” were too restrictive. He clarified that “income” refers to regular money from employment, business, or investments, while “financial support” includes regular monetary help that isn’t considered income but is still a legal right.
The judge also ruled that applicants who were initially rejected must be allowed to submit new evidence during the appeals process to strengthen their case. Furthermore, he stated that Sassa’s method of using bank verification alone to assess eligibility was unfair, as it excluded those with irregular income or insufficient banking activity.