Jack Monedi
Right to Reply
We acknowledge that there are problems with the social security system. However, our response to the Mail & Guardian’s articles (“North West suspends pensions for the disabled”, June 1 to 7 and “They’ve taken away our dignity”, June 8 to 14), does not aim to highlight them but to explain measures taken by the Department of Social Services, Arts, Culture and Sport in addressing these problems.
As the articles address the disability grants let us focus on them specifically. Temporary disability grants are paid to people who are 18 years and older and who are not able to support themselves for a period of six months or longer. Because of the temporary nature of the disability, the grant is paid for the period the person has been classified as disabled.
The grant therefore automatically lapses when the period of classification expires.
To make the approval of disability grants more transparent and reliable, the department has established disability panels in its 22 service areas. These include representatives from the medical profession, social work, social security, local authority, the disabled fraternity and tribal authorities.
The arrangements have proved highly successful as they not only eliminate discrepancies but afford the disability sector and the community the opportunity to be involved in this sensitive matter.
The department has started a process of notifying beneficiaries whose grants expired during January and February this year that these have lapsed and that they will have to reapply. This notification was issued at least three months beforehand and was posted and handed out at pay points in English, Afrikaans and Setswana.
Officials of the department met regional director for the Legal Resources Centre Charles Pillai on April 20 to discuss the lawfulness, reasonableness and fairness of the process. He clearly indicated his satisfaction and in fact commended the department for its extreme efforts and sensitivity in the way it has been dealing with the matter.
Pillai was also invited to direct any queries to a senior official in this department and has to date done so with regard to only four cases. The 790 cases he therefore refers to are unknown to this department.
The department has also scheduled meetings with all the local authorities during June and July to solicit their assistance and support.
It should be mentioned that the department remains committed to deliver the best of service to its customers and has invested in the necessary infrastructure so that no beneficiary is denied his rightful benefit.
To give examples, a helpdesk has been in operation since April 1. The department procured 44 vehicles to service the social security directorate. Because the province is rural and vast, we have issued 22 cellphones to improve communication. These measures also included the implementation of a new software programme making it possible for a beneficiary to be informed at the paypoint on the status of his grant. A procedure that enables the department to process grants within a month of the date of application has been introduced.
Taking these factors into consideration, we need to affirm that the department has cleaned up its database and in the process dealt with 38 085 cases over five months.
These cases involved:
l 85 cases of persons receiving a pension or a grant while receiving a salary.
l 3 000 cases of persons who received a pension or a grant but were also receiving a pension from the government pension fund.
l 11 000 cases were people appearing on the system with systems generated identity numbers (old identity numbers included). They had to reapply with new 13-digit identity numbers. Only 3 200 of these people reapplied to be put back on to the system.
l 10 000 cases of Temporary Disability Grants that have reached their expiry date. These people need to reapply and measures were taken to inform them three months before. The termination of district surgeons by the provincial Department of Health negatively affects the availability of medical doctors to examine our people.
l 14 000 cases of beneficiaries who failed to reregister although they were given an opportunity.
In response to specific cases raised in the article of June 8 to 14:
l Mrs Makhuvele’s grant has been reinstated and she was paid R1 650 in May. Mr Makhuvele’s application is being processed.
l Israel Zulu has been classified as temporarily disabled for 12 months until February 17. The department is processing his application.
l Sinah Mahlahane Khoza’s grant has been reinstated on the basis of a new medical report and she will be receiving R1 650 for May, June and July.
l Khazamula Ngolela has also been classified as temporary on the Socpen system. The department is processing his application.
Jack Monedi is the head of communication at the Department of Social Services, Arts, Culture and Sport, in the North West