Pensioners tell SASSA R2 400 is not enough, push for R6 000 a month
Older Persons Grant recipients used a Facebook thread to argue the current payout does not cover food, electricity and transport, with one proposal for a 28-day payment cycle.
South Africans drawing the Older Persons Grant are pressing for a bigger monthly payout, saying the current R2 400 does not stretch to what pensioners need.
The calls surfaced in comments under a post on The South African’s Facebook page, where grant recipients and their supporters set out what they believe a fair payment would look like. As The South African reported on 16 October, the thread drew a range of proposals, from a modest top-up to a payment that would more than double the grant.
The boldest came from John Berry, who called for the grant to rise to R6 000 a month and for the payment cycle to change. “Make it R6 000 rand per month on a 28-day cycle for old age pensioners this would provide them with a living income and a form of dignity,” Berry wrote.
A 28-day cycle would deliver 13 payments a year instead of 12, adding an extra payout annually on top of the higher amount he proposed.
Others aimed lower. Willie Doyer suggested that even a smaller increase would help. “Even if we could start with R3 000,” Doyer wrote.
The Older Persons Grant pays R2 400 a month to recipients aged 60 and older. For many older South Africans it is their main source of income, and the money has to cover food, electricity, transport and medication. Many pensioners also support grandchildren and unemployed family members on the same amount, which stretches it further.
Grant amounts are set by National Treasury and normally adjust once a year during the national Budget, with increases taking effect in April. Until the next adjustment, recipients will keep drawing R2 400 while the argument over the figure continues.
The R6 000 proposal is a long way from the current amount, and nothing in the thread suggests it has been put to SASSA or Treasury as a formal submission. What the comments show is the gap recipients describe between the grant and the cost of living, and the willingness of some to accept a smaller rise if a bigger one is not on the table.
The South African also invited grant recipients to take part in a survey on their experiences, with a R2 000 prize draw attached.
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