No double grants or pension rule changes - Sassa slams 'fake news' claims

THE SOUTH African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has rubbished viral social media claims suggesting that grant beneficiaries will receive double payments in June or that new pension rules will be implemented from June 10.

The agency warned that these unfounded rumours have caused unnecessary panic among millions of South Africans who rely on the grant system.

“Sassa can make it categorically clear that there have been no announcements made for double grant payments in June. These reports are untrue and should be rejected with the contempt they deserve,” said national spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi.

The agency clarified that the only confirmed grant increases were those announced in March during the Finance Ministry’s Policy Statement. Those increases came into effect in April, with the next hike set for October.

“Any other increase not announced by credible and relevant authorities should be treated as lies,” Letsatsi stressed.

Another rumour causing concern involves supposed “new rules” for pensioners starting June 10. Sassa has strongly denied this, stating no such changes have been announced or approved.

“Reports have been spreading like wildfire, that Sassa has announced ‘New Rules Could Affect Your Pension’ from 10 June. This is not an official announcement from Sassa,” said Letsatsi.

He urged the public to ignore alarmist messages and to verify any updates directly from Sassa’s official communication channels.

Sassa has previously confirmed that a routine verification process is under way, targeting certain beneficiaries flagged during means testing or using alternative identification methods. This forms part of the May payment review cycle and is not related to any sweeping policy changes.

With over 19 million people depending on social grants each month, Sassa is appealing to the public to avoid spreading false information.

“We appeal to our beneficiaries to only rely on credible sources of information on our official social media pages,” said Letsatsi.

📢 STAY INFORMED WITH SASSA!

Avoid falling for fake news - follow Sassa on their official social media channels for accurate updates 👇

✅ Facebook: SASSA News

✅ X (Twitter): @OfficialSASSA

✅ TikTok: @officialsassanews

✅ WhatsApp: SASSA_Official

✅ YouTube: South African Social Security Agency

✅ Instagram: sassa10_za

🟡 FAST FACT:

Sassa's next official grant increase is in October - not June. Don't be fooled by fake Facebook or WhatsApp messages.