How to Claim SASSA Funeral Benefits in 2024?

Death is the reality of life and everyone will die one day. Losing your loved ones can give you a difficult time, and make you sad. You can be in a state of shock and need to spend money on the funeral ceremony of your loved ones. Sassa always assists those who collect Sassa grants even at the time of the funeral ceremony.

Is the dead person a SASSA grant holder? If yes then there’s news for the Sassa grant holder’s family members, who are in a bad financial state and cannot afford the funeral expenses. Sassa funeral benefits enable the dead person’s family members to arrange all the expenses required for the funeral ceremony. Normally, SASSA stops grant holders’ grant payments after they pass away. They provide financial support to the families of grant holders for the person’s funeral ceremony.

SASSA Funeral Benefits

Where SASSA provides grants to fulfill the basic needs of life, SASSA also provides funeral benefits if the eligible person passes away. It doesn’t mean SASSA gives the grant payments of the dead person to his family for his applied grant. They provide the money to perform the final rites. The purpose of offering the funeral benefits or Sassa death benefits is to understand the sensitivity of the time and help them in their difficult time. Sometimes these are also named as pensioners’ funeral cover aiming to support the funeral expenses of the grant holder person.

Funerals can place a significant financial burden on families, especially those with limited financial resources. SASSA Funeral Benefits helps to reduce some of these financial pressures by providing assistance to cover funeral expenses. They make sure that families can give their loved ones a noble farewell without being buried by financial worries.

Policies for the SASSA Funeral

There are two main categoires of SASSA funeral assistance accessible for the SASSA grant holders.

SASSA Unclaimed Benefits

If an SASSA grant holder passes away without taking their grant for the present month, their family may be able to claim the uncollected amount to cover funeral expenses. This process will require your specific documents and eligibility criteria you must meet.

Funeral Insurance/Scheme

Another option is when the grant holders chooses to have a portion of their SASSA grant deducted to contribute towards a third-party funeral insurance policy. Since 2017, SASSA has allowed deductions of up to 10% from certain grants for approved funeral insurance. It’s important to note:

This isn’t a “SASSA Funeral Policy.” It requires selecting and supplying a separate funeral insurance plan provided by a private insurance company.
SASSA does not manage these policies. The selected insurance company handles them and may collaborate with provincial or government funeral assistance programs.

In this article, we will focus on the first category, which is SASSA Unclaimed Benefits, which helps to claim the uncollected grant for funeral expenses.

Eligibility Criteria for SASSA Funeral Benefits

To claim unclaimed benefits from SASSA for funeral expenses, certain conditions must be required:

The beneficiary must have passed away without claiming their last month’s grant payment.
Only a legal family member or the passed-on grant holder’s next of kin can apply for these benefits.
It’s important to remember that the unclaimed grant payments cannot be collected directly. Here are the SASSA funeral policy contact details. Firstly, You must call the SASSA toll-free number 0800 60 10 11 to inform them about the grant holder’s death. This SASSA toll-free call center operates on weekdays from 8 AM to 4 PM.
If many family members chipped in for the funeral, they should give one bill that lists all the costs when they ask for help with the money.

Documents to Collect the SASSA Funeral Benefits

To claim unclaimed benefits from SASSA for funeral expenses, you’ll need to provide specific documents to prove eligibility:

Death Certificate: You’ll need the deceased beneficiary’s death certificate.
South African National ID: The identity card of the deceased SASSA member is required.
Representative’s ID: Provide the identity card of the legal applicant or family member while applying for the funeral benefits.
Receipt or Invoice: You need to give a paper that shows how much money was spent on the funeral.
Proof of Relationship: Any document demonstrating your relationship with the grant holder, such as a marriage certificate or birth certificate, is necessary.

Once you’ve gathered all the required documents, you can start the process of applying to claim the Sassa unclaimed benefits.

Application Process to Collect SASSA Funeral Benefits

Once you’ve gathered all the required documents, follow these steps to apply for unclaimed funeral benefits from SASSA:

Report the Death

To report, call the SASSA toll-free number at 0800 60 10 11 to report the grant holder’s death. This step is essential before processing the claim for funeral benefits.

Collect Required Documents

Make sure you have all the necessary documents ready before visiting the SASSA office.

Visit the SASSA Office

Look for the nearest SASSA office and check their operating timings. It is usually from 8 AM to 4 PM, Monday to Friday. Visit the SASSA office with your documents. Be prepared because you may face the queues and wait patiently for your turn.

Documents Submission

When it’s your turn, inform the SASSA representative that you need to apply for unclaimed funeral benefits. Give them all the required documents for verification. They will verify your documents and start processing.

Wait for Payment

SASSA may take 24 to 72 hours to complete the verification and process of your payment. If you haven’t received any updates within 72 hours, call the SASSA helpline at 0800 60 10 11 to inquire about the status.

That’s all you have to do to apply for the unclaimed benefits. Ensure your documents are complete and certified to avoid delays in processing your application. In case if you have any further question related to payments then you can use Sassa funeral policy contact details

Value of SASSA Funeral Benefits

It’s important to understand that SASSA doesn’t offer its funeral policy. Instead, it gives the unclaimed grant money of the deceased grant holder. There’s no set amount you can claim. You can only get the unclaimed grant money for the month the person passed away, up to what’s left in their account.

If the available money is more than what the passed-on received as a grant payment, you’ll only get the funds in their account. You won’t get any extra if the funeral payments are less than the unclaimed grant payments.

If the deceased had chosen SASSA withdrawal for private funeral insurance, the payout depends on the chosen plan and payments made. However, SASSA won’t cover the entire cost under any circumstance.

Time Duration for Sassa Unclaimed Application Process

Normally, SASSA takes about 24 to 72 hours to process unclaimed grant payments. However, the delays might depend on factors such as the complication of your case, the number of applicants they’re handling, and the workload. If you haven’t received the funeral payment within three days, you need to contact the SASSA helpline number for updates about your application.

Conclusion

Losing a loved one is undoubtedly a challenging experience, both emotionally and financially. The burden of arranging a funeral can add to the stress during an already difficult time. However, for families of SASSA grant holders, there’s a silver lining in the form of SASSA Funeral Benefits. SASSA policy provides much-needed support to families during a time of grief, ensuring that financial concerns do not overshadow their opportunity to bid farewell to their loved ones with dignity and respect. SASSA’s commitment to assisting grant holders even beyond their passing reflects a compassionate approach to addressing the needs of vulnerable communities during challenging times.

FAQs

Sassa pays one month’s grant after the death of a beneficiary to cover funeral expenses. After this, payments cease unless there are eligible dependents.

To claim funeral benefits from Sassa, you must submit the required documentation, including the death certificate, identity documents, and proof of relationship to the deceased, at your nearest Sassa office. Upon review and approval, Sassa will process the claim and assist accordingly.

Free government funeral assistance in South Africa, provided by the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa), offers financial aid to help cover funeral costs for individuals who were recipients of social grants or whose dependents were grant recipients. This assistance typically includes a one-time payment to help alleviate the financial burden of funeral expenses.

To cancel a Sassa grant after the recipient’s death, you must inform Sassa of the death by submitting the required documentation, such as the death certificate, at your nearest Sassa office. They will guide you through canceling the grant and any necessary paperwork.

How to Claim SASSA Funeral Benefits in 2024?

SASSA Funeral Benefits