SASSA: Which government department are they?

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) is the primary government agency in charge of social grants: Disability Grants, R350-SRD Grants, Childcare Grants, Elderly Grants, and In-Aid Grants are some of the monthly payments made to beneficiaries in need.

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But have you ever wondered if there’s another government department, which SASSA is also part of?

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Here’s more about the government department which oversees the South African Social Security Agency.

SASSA: Which government department are they?

The South African Social Security Agency is a government agency that’s in charge of dispensing and administrating social grant payments in SA.

Above the SASSA system, exists the Department of Social Development (DSD).

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This is the controlling government entity, under which the social security systems operate.

The Department of Social Development (DSD) has many different responsibilities, including social welfare checks and grant assessments; while grant payments are what the Social Security Agency was established for.

SASSA: The mission and grant payment system

The mission of the South African Social Security Agency is to “pay the right social grants, to the right person, at the right time”.

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Where the need exists for a government (social) grant, the social security agency is there to assess and cater to this need.

If you think that you might need a social grant, contact the South African Social Security Agency at their website here.

SASSA and the Department of Social Development

The South African Social Security Agency works together with the Department of Social Development (DSD), which is their controlling government body – even though they work as an independent agency.

There’s also an act stipulating the grant system and how it works, called the SASSA Act of 2004: this was signed into effect to make grants easier to pay, and to provide a legal framework for it.

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