SASSAHow Can I Prevent Unauthorized Deductions from My SASSA Grant - Steps

How Can I Prevent Unauthorized Deductions from My SASSA Grant – Steps

How Can I Prevent Unauthorized Deductions from My SASSA Grant – Steps. are you facing unauthorized deductions from your SASSA grant money? If yes, then you must lodge the dispute today to stop the unauthorized deduction further from your grant. This issue is faced by many SASSA beneficiaries and SASSA already warned to dispute these types of transactions.

The dispute can be created by simply sending SMS to Q-link on 34548 with your personal details including your ID number, full name and surname, FSP name (the company that deducted money from your account, the duration of policy, and the reason for the dispute like “I Did not Authorized the Company or Have any contract with Company”.

In this article, I will guide you in detail about how you can stop unauthorized deductions from your SASSA account and how to make your account secure to stop this type of unauthorized transactions in future. So, let’s continue the process.

Understanding the Common Unauthorized Deductions

Before moving towards the dispute process, first you need to understand the common types of unauthorized deductions that are reported by beneficiaries. Here is the list of most common unauthorized transactions:

  • Airtime and Data: Unauthorized deductions for airtime and data purchases can occur when beneficiaries are enrolled in mobile services or contracts without their consent.
  • Bank Charges: Some beneficiaries may have unauthorized bank charges deducted from their grants if they are forced into opening bank accounts they don’t need or understand due to digital literacy.
  • Funeral Policies: Many beneficiaries are unknowingly signed up for funeral policies without their consent, which resulted in unauthorized deductions from their social grants.
  • Life Insurance: Similar to funeral policies, beneficiaries may find deductions for insurance policies they did not agree to or were not fully informed about.
  • Loan Repayments: Some beneficiaries are misled into taking out loans with high-interest rates from loan sharks or untrustworthy lenders, who then automatically deduct repayments from their grants.
  • Retail Store Accounts: In some cases, beneficiaries are signed up for retail store accounts without their knowledge, and deductions are made from their grants to cover purchases made with these accounts.
  • Membership Fees: Some beneficiaries reported unauthorized transactions from their SRD grants for different membership fees such as gym or club memberships.

Although these are the most common unauthorized transactions reported by many SASSA beneficiaries, there are also many other types of deductions made from SASSA beneficiaries without their consent.

So, now let’s move further to understand what measures you need to take at first to detect the unauthorized transactions from your account and how to dispute to claim your money back.

How to Detect the Unauthorized Deduction From Your SASSA Grant?

The first step to identify the unauthorized deduction is that you need to be able to identify the unfamiliar transaction from your grant account. It can be done by checking your account balance and transaction history.

Identifying Unauthorized Transaction Via Balance Check

You can easily detect any Illegitimate deduction from your account by checking your balance. It will give you an idea of how much balance you have in your grant account and if there is any unnecessary balance deduction from your account.

You can check your SASSA grant account balance by following ways:

  • By USSD Code: You can also check your balance from your SASSA registered phone number by dialing the USSD code *120*69277#. If this USSD code returns busy response, then dial *120*3210#.
  • By Using SASSA Card: You can also check your account balance from any nearby ATM or retailer by using your SASSA card.
  • By WhatsApp: The balance check can also be done by sending a message to the SASSA Whatsapp number at +27820468553.
  • From SASSA Office or Pay Point: The balance check can be also done from the SASSA offices and SASSA partnered paypoints. You will need to take along your ID card and mobile number that you used for your SASSA application, as the representative will need to verify your identity before checking your balance.

So, after checking your balance you will have a better idea if any unauthorized activity has been done from your account.

Identifying Unauthorized Deduction By Checking Transaction History

So, the other way to identify any unauthorized activity from your account is to check your transaction history. This can be done by following ways:

  • From ATM: You can check your transaction history from any ATM by using your SASSA card.
  • From SASSA Office: The account statement can be also collected from your nearest SASSA office. You will need to visit the office in person and request the statement to the representative.
  • By Calling SASSA Helpline: The transaction history can be also requested by calling SASSA helpline at 0800 60 10 11.

It is better to check your transaction history as it will have details of all the transactions that happened in the last few months. It will give you a clear picture of all your transactions and you can easily identify any illegitimate deduction.

Step-by-Step Process to Dispute and Stop Unauthorized Deductions

So, once you check your balance and translation history and find any unauthorized deduction from your account, then please follow the below steps to file the dispute:

Step 1: Gather Information

The first step is to gather all the information related to the unauthorized transaction. You need to collect the following data:

  • The companies names that deducted the amount from your grant.
  • Exact dates and the amount they deducted on each date.
  • The sum of the total amount they deducted till date. It will not be needed in the initial dispute but may be required later when asked by the Q-Link or SASSA.

If you are unable to find the company making the deduction, you can call the SASSA helpline at 0800 60 10 11 for help.

After you collect all the information about companies, then you need to send the SMS to Q-Link on “34548” to file a dispute. Please follow the below order to write your message for dispute:

  • In the first line write “Topic: Dispute”.
  • On the second line write your South African ID card number.
  • In the third line write your full name and surname. It should be the same as written on your ID card.
  • In the next line write FSP Name (the company name you want to submit the dispute against).
  • Now write the duration of policy (From how long the company is deducting the amount from you).
  • In the last line write the reason for dispute (such as I never signed a contract / misrepresentation)

I am writing the exact message format with the example data to give you more accurate idea of exact message format:

Topic: Dispute
ID Number: 123456789
Name and surname: Jayshawn Jamie
FSP Name: Example Company
Duration of Policy: 3 Months
Reason for Dispute: I never signed the contract with Example Company

So, once you type the message with the exact format, send it to the Q-Link number at 34548.

Step 3: Follow Up By Calling SASSA Helpline

Once you send the dispute message successfully, then call the SASSA helpline at 0800 60 10 11 to confirm that they have received your dispute request and what are the next steps. The SASSA representative will ask for your ID number or any other documents to verify your identity first before providing you the information. So please provide any document they asked for.

That’s all you need to submit your dispute. So, now you know all the ways to identify any unauthorized transaction from your account and submit the dispute request whenever required.

How Much Time Does it Take to Process a Dispute?

The dispute can take from days to weeks for a simple case such as unauthorized airtime deduction.  While complex cases like unauthorized policy or loan disputes can also take weeks to months. So, it all depends on the complexity of your case and the workload they currently have.

Will I Get Back My Money That Was Deducted?

If SASSA confirms that the money was deducted without your consent, then you will get back your full money. Please keep in mind that some refund policies and their success rate varies so it is recommended to get the advice from the SASSA officials. They will provide you the relative guidance depending on your case.

How to Prevent any Unauthorized Access to My Funds in Future

I hope you successfully resolved the dispute of your unauthorized transactions. Now, please always follow the below tips to prevent any unauthorized access to your account in future and keep it always safe:

  • Never share your SASSA card PIN with anyone.
  • If your SASSA card is lost or stolen, report it immediately to SASSA.
  • Avoid sharing any information with marketing companies.
  • Monitor your account regularly by checking your bank statements or SASSA card transaction history for any suspicious deductions.
  • If you notice any deductions you didn’t authorize or understand, inquire with your bank or SASSA immediately.
  • Before signing any agreements, carefully read and understand the terms, especially regarding deductions from your grant.
  • Report any fraudulent or unauthorized activity related to your SASSA grant to SASSA immediately.

By following these tips, you will never have any issue related to unauthorized transactions from your social grant.

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