Claim SASSA Funeral Benefits: Know Eligibility and More

To help qualified South African individuals satisfy their basic subsistence needs, the South African Social Security Agency offers cash support. Even in their passing, the organization ensures that the qualifying individuals’ financial needs are met. For this reason, SASSA has its funeral policy.

The next of kin or legal representatives of a dead individual are eligible to receive funeral benefits under this funeral coverage from SASSA. If you qualify, this tutorial explains how to get funeral benefits from SASSA. Let us examine the specifics of the SASSA funeral policy and the process for submitting a claim for the benefits.

Understanding SASSA Funeral Benefits:

If a recipient passes away before receiving their award for the current month, they are eligible for SASSA Unclaimed Benefits. By completing specific steps, their family may be able to collect the unclaimed sum for funeral expenses.
Funeral Insurance/Scheme: A commercial firm provides a different funeral insurance plan. With the beneficiary’s consent, payments are taken out of the SASSA grant. The unclaimed grant amount (SASSA Unclaimed Benefits) is the main topic of this tutorial.

Eligible for SASSA Funeral Benefits:

Only in the event of a beneficiary’s death and failure to receive the award for the previous month may the unclaimed benefits be claimed. You will not be able to apply for the unclaimed grant amount if they received the award for the month they passed away. Therefore, it can only be gathered in:

If the beneficiary does not receive the grant payment for the previous month.
Only the beneficiary’s next of kin or legal representative may collect it to pay for the burial.

Please be aware that direct collection of the unclaimed benefits is not possible. Initially, you need to notify the SASSA of the member’s passing by calling their toll-free number, 0800 60 10 11. The weekday hours for the toll-free contact center are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

If more than one family member paid for the funeral, all the costs should be listed on a single invoice.

Document Requirements:

SASSA adheres to strict guidelines and requests specific documentation to verify that you are the legitimate legal agent of the grant holder who paid for the funeral. To obtain the unclaimed benefits after notifying the SASSA of the beneficiary’s death, you will require the following documentation:

How to Claim SASSA Funeral Benefits1 — sassa-status

The beneficiary’s death certificate, if applicable.
ID card of the dead member of SASSA, South Africa.
Identity card of the family member or agent requesting the amount of the unclaimed award.
A statement or receipt detailing the whole price paid for the funeral.
Any further documentation, such as a marriage certificate or birth certificate, proving your tie to the dead beneficiary

You can begin the application procedure to get the unclaimed benefits as soon as you have all the documentation.

How to Apply for Unclaimed SASSA Funeral Benefits?

Inform SASSA about the Death:

Call the SASSA at 0800 60 1011, their toll-free number, to report the beneficiary’s death.
The contact center is open on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Gather Required Documents:

The beneficiary’s death certificate, if applicable.
ID card of the dead member of SASSA, South Africa.
Your ID card (you, the beneficiary claimant).
Invoice or receipt outlining the whole amount paid for funeral costs.
Evidence of your connection to the departed, such as a marriage license or birth certificate.

Visit Your Nearest SASSA Office:

Find the SASSA office nearest to you and verify their business hours. Most offices are open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Wait for your turn and be ready for lines.

Send Documents to the SASSA Agent:

Tell the representative that you are going to pick up unclaimed funeral benefits.
Give all the necessary paperwork.
The agent will check the paperwork and start the procedure.

Wait for Payment:

In most cases, SASSA needs 24 to 72 hours to confirm and handle the payment.
If you have not heard back from the SASSA within a week, call them at 0800 60 10 11.

Important Tips:

To prevent delays, make sure all paperwork is certified and complete.
If several family members paid for the funeral, there has to be a single invoice that shows the whole amount spent.
For your records, retain copies of all submitted papers.

Keep in Mind That:

This procedure only aims to recover the unclaimed grant money for burial costs.
Funeral insurance acquired through private businesses with SASSA grant deductions is exempt from this.

What is the Amount of SASSA Funeral Policy?

It is critical to realize that SASSA only provides the unclaimed grant amount of the dead beneficiary—not a “SASSA Funeral Policy.” It is not precise how much you can get back. Up to the amount still in the dead beneficiary’s account, you might be able to claim the unclaimed award amount for the month of the beneficiary’s passing.

You will get payment for the whole amount in the deceased beneficiary’s account if it exceeds the grant amount given to the deceased recipient. You will not get paid more if the burial expenses are less than the unclaimed money.

The amount paid out will depend on the plan selected and the contributions made if the dead choose to have the private burial insurance firm deduct from their income under the SASSA. In any event, SASSA will not cover the entire expense.

Within 24 to 72 hours, SASSA normally processes the unclaimed grant money. However, based on the intricacy of your case, the volume of applications they are getting, and their present workload, it could take longer. You can get an update by calling the SASSA hotline if the money is not received within three days.

What is SASSA Death Benefits?

SASSA funeral benefits or unclaimed benefits are referred to as SASSA death benefits. The same procedure applies to both to get the unclaimed grant amount of a dead beneficiary. Since this page discusses the same idea, misunderstanding is unnecessary because both terms are used interchangeably.

The SASSA does not provide funeral coverage that allows the family of a dead beneficiary to help with burial expenses. However, the assistance is contingent upon specific requirements. If the dead had an active grant and the grant amount for their final month remained unclaimed, it can only be claimed by a legal representative or the next of kin. Other family members cannot use this benefit without an already authorized grant.