SASSA sets aside R77m to step up grant fraud probes and tighten checks

Money and scale of the grants system

Chikunga said the social assistance programme is a R293 billion effort that reaches about 27 million people. Social assistance consumes 96.7% of the Department of Social Development’s R302 billion budget, she said, reflecting the depth of need the system addresses.

The system includes more than 19 million permanent grant beneficiaries and approximately 7.8 million recipients of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant. Government spends about R22 billion every month on permanent social grants for children, older persons and people with disabilities. A further R36.4 billion has been allocated for the continuation of the SRD grant until March 2027.

What the R77 million will be used for

According to Chikunga, the R77 million is earmarked specifically to strengthen fraud investigations, intensify grant reviews and bolster fraud-detection systems. SASSA will use the funding to remove ineligible beneficiaries from the system, she said.

She also said the agency will step up accountability measures within its own ranks, including lifestyle audits of officials across grant administration, finance, ICT and procurement.

Verification and prevention measures

Government will expand data checks by cross-referencing beneficiary information with the National Population Register and banking institutions to curb fraudulent payments. Chikunga said:

“We will continue to intensify the implementation of data cross-referencing with the National Population Register and banks to eliminate any fraudulent beneficiaries from this provision.”

SRD grant and other funding moves

The SRD grant, which Chikunga said supports about eight million working-age South Africans each month, will receive an additional R300 million to cover rising administrative costs as demand remains high.

Wider reforms and social programmes

Chikunga said government is advancing discussions on a Basic Income Support policy, with revised proposals expected to be re-submitted to Cabinet during the second quarter of the financial year. The department is also scaling up livelihood interventions implemented with partners such as Finmark Trust and BRAC in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State.

The National Development Agency plans to expand community-owned enterprises across all nine provinces and aims to raise more than R40 million this financial year to supplement its R225 million budget allocation.

Other allocations and programmes

Chikunga said R9.9 million was reprioritised for the Central Drug Authority and the rollout of the National Drug Master Plan (2026–2030), which is still undergoing consultation ahead of Cabinet approval.

On gender-based violence and femicide, the department supports 142 shelters nationwide and plans to deploy about 60 contract social workers and 100 GBVF ambassadors across 30 identified hotspot areas, supported by funding from the National Lotteries Commission.

Structural changes at SASSA and child protection work

SASSA is undergoing structural reforms: Chikunga said five regional executive manager posts have been filled in the Free State, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape and Western Cape, and recruitment is underway for similar posts in Gauteng and North West.

The Department of Social Development is leading the 365 Child Protection Campaign, which launched in KwaZulu-Natal and is set to conclude in the Eastern Cape on Sunday, Chikunga said. She urged South Africans and stakeholders to support the campaign, saying:

“Your child is my child, and my child is your child.”

Chikunga framed the combined approach of tighter fraud controls, expanded social protection and structural reforms as intended to ensure grants reach legitimate beneficiaries while strengthening accountability across the system.