Respondents who have heard of DCT around Nqutu
4.3.3 Research question 3: How has poverty impacted on households who were former beneficiaries of the Disability Cash Transfer distribution towards poverty
4.3.3.2 Do you think the Department of Social Development (DSD) or SASSA at Nqutu is aware that there are people who are no longer beneficiaries of DCT?
Table 4.17: The DSD or SASSA is it aware that there are people who are no longer beneficiaries of DCT
The DSD or SASSA is it aware that there are people who are no longer beneficiaries of DCT
Frequency (f) Percentage (%)
Yes 33 45.21%
No 22 30.14%
Maybe 2 2.74%
Not sure 16 21.92%
Total 73 100%
Table 4.17 shows that 33 respondents (45.21%) reported that DSD or SASSA is aware that there are people who are no longer recipients of the DCT. Respondents mentioned that SASSA officials are aware because after all they are the ones who are in charge of the DCT distribution and work daily on their systems to make updates. “SASSA officials are definitely aware because once a person no longer get the DCT they go and report in DSD or SASSA offices so that they can be assisted…SASSA officials are the ones who remove beneficiaries from continuing to get DCT, they are just reluctant to help us when we get there”. A number of respondents mentioned that SASSA officials are aware because they usually send them text messages informing them, sometimes they call, but in most cases pay slips from pay points contain the dates for grant renewal.
70 A portion of 22 respondents (30.14%) revealed that SASSA officials are not aware that there are DCT beneficiaries who no longer receive their money. One respondent said, “No, they are not aware because people who benefit from DCT are the ones who are supposed to report to SASSA offices that their DCT has been cancelled”.
Respondents also believe there is a lot of corruption going on in the department. Based on the proceedings at South African Social Agency, there are reasons why grants in overall lapse, get cancelled, need to be reviewed and get suspended (Legal Aid South Africa, 2015:1). The reasons why beneficiaries get removed from benefiting from the DCT are:
Grants will lapse due to the death of the recipient, a failure to collect payment for three months, or any other grant-specific circumstances.
A beneficiary may appeal a grant that has been suspended due to change in financial, health, or documentation status, but a lapsed grant may not be appealed.
Beneficiaries must inform SASSA of any improvements in health status or financial circumstances.
The beneficiary must be notified 90 days before his or her grant is subject to be reviewed, and is responsible for providing any necessary documents within that period.
A grant suspension notice and explanation will automatically turn into a grant cancellation if the beneficiary makes no representation (Legal Aid of South Africa, 2015:1).
Respondents who reported not to be sure whether officials are aware are represented by 21.92% of the total sample size, 16 respondents in total. There were only 2 respondents (2.74%) who said that maybe workers at the DSD or SASSA are perhaps aware or maybe not that there are people who are no longer beneficiaries of the DCT. Thus, means SASSA officials should be aware as much as the beneficiaries of DCT. Beneficiaries and former beneficiaries of DCT had a strong belief that SASSA officials know when they are being removed from the system. However, according to SASSA officials it is the other way round.
Beneficiaries are the ones who are supposed to keep track of their grant lapse date, hence, they are told during the application process what causes and lead to a lapse. Thus, that puts them in a more alert position in terms of keeping track of what is going on with their grants.
71 4.3.3.3 Do you think that something can be done to render services in a more suitable
way so as to monitor what happens with beneficiaries of DCT?
Table 4.18: Can something be done to render services in a more suitable way as a way to monitor what happens with beneficiaries of DCT?
Can something be done to render services in a more suitable way as a way to monitor what happens with beneficiaries of DCT?
Frequency (f) Percentage (%)
Yes 55 75.34%
No 7 9.59%
Maybe 2 2.74%
Not sure 9 12.33%
Total 73 100%
Most of the respondents believe that something can be done to render services in a more suitable way so as to monitor what happens with beneficiaries of DCT. The number of respondents that agreed on this study was 55 (75.34%). Respondents who said “No” were seven, (9.59%). Those who said that maybe something can be done to render services to people in a different way were only two (2.74%) of the total sample size. Lastly, there were nine respondents who said they were not sure whether something can be done.
Out of these diverse responses, respondents had to support their choices with their opinions.
The researcher quoted the responses because she did not want to flaw respondents` ideas.
Some of the respondents said, “something can be done such as find professional people who will constantly check if us the beneficiaries of DCT get our money all the time and check whether it assist us”. Another respondent also raised that, “there must be a person maybe a social worker or an official from SASSA offices, who must be appointed in all local offices;
who will monitor beneficiaries of DCT in terms of whether they get their grant and they are being supported”.
In table 4.18, seven respondents contrasted the above information by saying “nothing can be done because the government officials from SASSA cannot take care or monitor everyone
72 who benefits from DCT…people should just take responsibility of their lives and money”.
One participant raised the issue of doctors that work harmoniously with SASSA officials.
This respondent said to make things better, doctors should be directly employed under the SASSA offices, and also refer patients to other doctors if they do not specialise in their condition (illnesses). Hence, the department will avoid exclusion of people who qualify to be beneficiaries of the DCT.
4.3.3.4 Do you think a particular person is responsible for making sure the Department