No, foreigners are not suddenly getting grants – Sassa shuts down viral claims

No, foreigners are not suddenly getting grants, Sassa shuts down viral claims

At a time when many South Africans are struggling to make ends meet, few topics ignite anger and anxiety as quickly as social grants. So when posts began circulating online claiming that foreigners had been given wider access to the Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, the reaction was immediate and intense.

But according to the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa), those claims are simply not true.

“Incorrect and misleading,” says Sassa

Sassa spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi has moved to set the record straight, warning that the information spreading on social media is false and potentially harmful.

The posts suggested that changes had been made to grant regulations, allowing asylum seekers and special permit holders to access South African taxpayers’ money through newly amended rules. Letsatsi said no such amendments exist.

“There have been no changes to the SRD grant framework,” he said, adding that the claims risk causing unnecessary confusion among beneficiaries and the public.

No quiet policy changes behind the scenes

To quell growing suspicion, Sassa stressed that any changes to social assistance policies cannot happen quietly or through the agency alone.

Decisions around grant policy sit with National Treasury and the Department of Social Development. According to Letsatsi, neither institution announced any amendments during recent budget processes, including the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement or the Social Development budget vote delivered by Minister Sisisi Nokuzola Tolashe.

If changes are ever made, he said, they would be formally announced by the minister and published in official regulations.

What the rules actually say

The current SRD grant rules remain those published in 2022. They allow temporary assistance to people with little or no income who fall into specific categories.

This includes South African citizens, permanent residents, refugees, valid asylum seekers and holders of certain special permits provided they meet strict age, residency and income requirements. These categories are not new, and they are not the result of any recent amendment.

As of 1 January, Sassa received just over 14,000 SRD applications from permanent residents, refugees and special permit holders. Of those, 8,368 were approved and 2,690 paid figures that the agency says reflect the existing framework, not a policy shift.

Why the rumours gain traction

The speed at which the claims spread online speaks to a deeper frustration in the country. With unemployment high and household budgets stretched, grant misinformation often taps into real fears about fairness, resources and who qualifies for state support.

On social media, some users expressed outrage, while others questioned why official information was not reaching people faster. Sassa says this is exactly why unverified posts are so dangerous.

A call for caution and verification

Letsatsi urged South Africans to double-check any information about grants before sharing it further.

Official Sassa platforms and government channels, he said, remain the only reliable source for updates on social assistance.

In a climate where misinformation can inflame tensions overnight, the agency’s message is clear: no policy has changed, and foreigners are not “suddenly” receiving grants.

{Source: IOL}

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