SASSA Funeral Policy (Complete Guide)

SASSA funeral policy benefits refer to the R9,000 unclaimed amount of a SRD beneficiary that can be collected after their death. To receive the funeral amount, you need to submit a report along with the required documents at your nearby SASSA office. You can confirm the opening time of the SASSA office from our other detailed guide.

This article is dedicated to cover the SASSA funeral policy, the benefit amount, and process to claim it. So stay tuned til the end. 

What Are SASSA Funeral Policy Benefits?

There are two types of funeral benefits that can be claimed. Here are the details of each:

1. SASSA Funeral Policy Benefits:

SASSA allows beneficiaries to apply for a funeral insurance policy, with the premium paid from the SASSA grant amount via a SASSA Stop Order Instruction for Funeral Deductions If the beneficiary had a funeral insurance policy with a private company that deducted payments from their SASSA grant amount while they were alive, the total amount can be claimed after their death to cover the funeral costs.

2. SRD Unclaimed Benefits: 

This is the Social Relief Distress (SRD) amount for a SASSA beneficiary who could not collect a month’s payment due to their death. The uncollected amount will be R370, as noted in the latest Gazette notice. You can also check the late beneficiary’s SASSA account balance to confirm the arrival of the payment.

Eligibility Criteria : Who Qualifies For The Funeral Benefits?.

Those who want to receive the SASSA funeral policy benefits will have to be one of the following in relation to the SRD grant holder to receive the amount:

1. Legal Representative.
2. Family Member (Spouse, Children).
3. Next to Kin (Close Relative).

The SASSA beneficiary can assign a legal representative when alive to receive their funeral benefits after their demise. However, it’s understood that the grant holder must meet all the SRD requirements to be eligible to receive grant. 

SASSA Whatsapp Number & Link [Complete Guide]

Step by Step Process For Claiming the SASSA Funeral Policy Benefits

If you’re the legal representative of the Insured (SASSA’s beneficiary), then you can claim the SASSA funeral policy benefits by following this method:

1. Prepare a formal report mentioning grant holder’s death and expenses made during funeral.
2. Attach all the documents, including the following:
   • Death Certificate of the SRD Grant Holder.
   • Your South African ID Card (as a representative of the beneficiary).
   • Invoice or Receipt of the Funeral Cost
   • Proof that you’re a relative (Next to Kin) of the beneficiary. 
3. Submit the report at the nearby SASSA office.

After this process, SASSA will take its time to verify all the documents and claim the amount from the insurance company on your behalf; then the issued policy benefits will become available to withdraw from the bank or other cash methods. You can claim the funeral benefits before or after you have paid the funeral cost of the deceased SASSA beneficiary. 

How Much Is SASSA Funeral Policy?

The total amount of the SASSA funeral benefits is R9,000, which means the SRD beneficiary’s representative will get 9,000 South African Rand after claiming the funeral benefits from the agency. This amount will only be given to those who fulfill the eligibility criteria mentioned above. 

However, if multiple people have contributed to the funeral costs of the deceased SASSA beneficiary, they can divide the policy benefits amount among themselves.  That said, the report submitted to SASSA for claiming the benefits should only be one and contain all the expenses paid by all individuals. 

Time Duration For SASSA Funeral Payment:

The legal representative of the late beneficiary can receive the funeral payment from SASSA within 72 hours (or 3 days) of submitting the claim. This timeframe may seem long because the agency has to contact the relevant insurance company and submit your report and documents to them. The funeral benefits will only be released once the claim is approved.

However, this duration may take even longer if you submit incomplete or incorrect information and documents. Therefore, it’s recommended to double-check all details before claiming the amount.

Complete Procedure For Applying For SASSA Funeral Benefits

If you don’t know how to apply for a Funeral policy with SASSA, then you can follow the steps given below:

1. Select a Private Insurance Company that supports the SASSA funeral mandate.
2. Fill and Submit the Stop Order Mandate document. 
3. After verification and further processing, SASSA will cut 10% of grant amount and submit it to the insurance company as your funeral cover’s premium amount. 

Beneficiaries can dial SASSA’s toll-free call center number for more information about applying for an insurance scheme at (+27) 800 60 10 11.

SASSA Funeral Policy Notice: 

According to the regulations issued by the Department of Social Development (DSD), the following points should be in the beneficiary’s mind to remain eligible for funeral grant benefits:

1. The related insurance company must be registered under the Long-term Insurance Act, 1998 (Act No. 52 of 1998).
2. Only 10 percent deductions will be made from your R370 grant, which amounts to R37, as per the new amendments published in 2024.
3. You can’t promote any funeral plans or death insurance policies to other beneficiaries in SASSA’s office. 
4. You shouldn’t use or pledge your SASSA smart card for the payment of your insurance premium, as SASSA will already deduct the payment from your R370 grant and send the remaining relief amount to you.
5. If the agent of your funeral policy accompanies you to one of SASSA’s pay points to force you to receive the premium amount at that moment, you can report them to the agency.

SASSA Funeral Policy Contact Details:

You can contact SASSA for get information on SRD deceased’s funeral benefits through one of the below given medium:

1. SASSA Call Centre: For any queries related to funeral benefits, contact the agency’s toll-free number at 0800 60 10 11. Make sure you put the code (+27) before calling on the number. 
2. SASSA Facebook Page: Go to the agency’s official news page on facebook at @SASSANewsZA and send a text on messenger. 
3. SASSA Email Address: You can also can send an email to [email protected]">[email protected] (as a user of Gmail, Yahoo, or Bing etc).
4. SASSA Office: Visit any nearby SASSA office. Check the location from Google Maps.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

1  Who Can Receive the Deceased Person SASSA Funeral Policy Benefits?

Anyone who is a legal representative or a family member (spouse, children, next of kin) can claim the funeral benefits from SASSA on behalf of a deceased beneficiary.

2.  How Many Months Does SASSA Pay After Death?

The funeral amount can be received from SASSA within 72 hours. However, the last month’s SRD grant will be payable within six months or less.

3. Why the SASSA Funeral Policy Benefits or Payment is Delayed?

You may experience a delay in receiving the grant holder’s funeral policy benefit amount due to a long verification process or incomplete information.

4. How to Claim The Last SASSA Payment of The Dead Person?

You can claim SRD grant holder’s last payment by filling out a special application and attaching required documents at the SASSA office within 6 months, and not more. 

5. Does the COVID-19 SRD Grant End After the Beneficiary Dies?

Yes, as per the new amendments mentioned in the Gazette notice, the COVID-19 Social Relief Distress (SRD) grant will end on the last day of the month in which the beneficiary died.