SASSA News — May 2026
SASSA has suspended 67,868 social grants as part of a targeted biometric verification drive to eliminate fraudulent and duplicate grant payments, according to IOL (May 2026). Beneficiaries whose grants have been suspended must visit their nearest SASSA office in person with their original SA ID document. SASSA confirmed that legitimate beneficiaries who complete in-person verification will have their payments reinstated within 5 working days.
Key Takeaways
- 67,868 grants suspended as of May 2026
- Suspension is due to biometric verification failures — not automatic disqualification
- Affected beneficiaries must visit a SASSA office with original SA ID
- Payments reinstated within 5 working days after successful verification
- SASSA toll-free number: 0800 60 10 11
SASSA conducts periodic biometric verification checks to confirm that grant recipients are:
The 2026 drive cross-referenced SASSA’s grant database against Home Affairs biometric records, Department of Labour UIF records, and SARS tax data. Where SASSA could not automatically verify a beneficiary’s identity biometrically, the grant was flagged for in-person verification and temporarily suspended.
A suspension does not mean your grant has been cancelled. It means SASSA requires you to confirm your identity in person before payments can resume.
The 67,868 suspended grants include recipients across multiple grant types — including social old age grants, disability grants, child support grants, and SRD R370 grants — where SASSA’s automated systems could not complete biometric verification.
You will typically be notified of a suspension by:
If your grant payment did not arrive on your expected payment date, check your grant status:
If your grant has been suspended due to the biometric verification drive:
→ Find your nearest SASSA office
Do not send your ID documents to anyone by email, WhatsApp, or post in connection with this verification. The in-person process at a SASSA office is the only legitimate method.
SASSA warned that fraudsters have been exploiting the biometric crackdown to run scams. Common tactics include:
SASSA does not charge any fees for grant reactivation. SASSA does not request banking details by phone or SMS in connection with biometric verification. If you receive such contact, hang up and report it to SASSA at 0800 60 10 11.
SASSA suspended grants where its automated biometric verification system could not confirm the beneficiary’s identity against Home Affairs, SARS, or UIF records. A suspension is a temporary hold — not a cancellation. You need to verify your identity in person at a SASSA office to resume payments.
SASSA has committed to reinstating payments within 5 working days of successful in-person biometric verification. If your payment has not resumed after 5 working days, call SASSA on 0800 60 10 11 to follow up.
No appointment is required. Go to your nearest SASSA office during operating hours (generally Monday–Friday 08:00–16:00) and tell the officer you are there for biometric verification to reactivate a suspended grant.
SASSA evaluates back-payment entitlement on a case-by-case basis. If your suspension is found to be an error (i.e., you were always a legitimate beneficiary), SASSA should process payments for the months you missed. Raise this at the SASSA office when you complete your in-person verification.
For SRD R370 beneficiaries, check your status at srd.sassa.gov.za — a suspended grant will typically show a non-payment status. For other grant types, call SASSA on 0800 60 10 11 or visit a SASSA office.
Sources
IOL — iol.co.za — “SASSA Suspends 67,868 Social Grants After Biometric Verification Drive”, May 2026
SASSA — sassa.gov.za — Social grant integrity verification programme
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