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Reports that the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) and the life assurance company Lion of Africa have reached an agreement, is great news and the first step in arresting funeral deductions from children’s grants and is heartily welcomed by the DA.

It is a shameful travesty of justice that the practise of making these deductions have been allowed to take place at all, from grants which are already way too small to survive on.

The settlement was reached shortly before an application by SASSA was due to be heard by the Constitutional Court.

In terms of the judgment no new deductions will be taken from the three types of children’s grants until the new regulations to the Social Assistance Act, announced by Social Development Minister, Bathabile Dlamini earlier this month, which forbid deductions from children’s grants, kick in.

The court order is another positive step towards protecting the most vulnerable in our society.

The DA has consistently fought against the ongoing problem of illegal deductions from social grants and will continue to do so.

Issued by DA