SASSA beneficiaries are staring down a brutal stretch between payments this festive season because the calendar created a five-week gap instead of the usual four, and advocacy groups are basically sounding the alarm that loan sharks are about to have a field day. The agency confirmed that over 28 million people will get hit by the delay since grants drop early next month, but then nothing comes through until January, which leaves families scrambling to cover holiday expenses, school costs, and groceries during the most expensive time of year.
Officials say their hands are tied because payment schedules are locked to the first week of each month for administrative reasons, but civil society orgs are warning that desperate households might take predatory loans that trap them in debt cycles for months. SASSA told people to budget carefully, and they are extending service hours at some locations to help with the Postbank transition before it shuts down.
Officials say their hands are tied because payment schedules are locked to the first week of each month for administrative reasons, but civil society orgs are warning that desperate households might take predatory loans that trap them in debt cycles for months. SASSA told people to budget carefully, and they are extending service hours at some locations to help with the Postbank transition before it shuts down.
