Phoenix pensioners have joined a nationwide call for a substantial increase in the Older Persons Grant, gathering outside the Phoenix SASSA office on Monday, 7 September, to voice concerns that the current monthly payment is insufficient to meet their basic needs.
The peaceful picket formed part of a national campaign spearheaded by Pensioners of South Africa (POSA), with elderly residents gathering outside various SASSA offices across the country. The movement is calling for the Older Persons Grant to be increased from R2 400 to R5 000 per month.
In Phoenix, the demonstration was led by local POSA representatives Shreen Hoosen and Selwyn Anderson, with the campaign carrying a strong message: pensioners want to spend their later years with dignity rather than constantly worrying about whether their grant will stretch far enough to cover their most basic needs.
For many elderly residents, the monthly grant has become a balancing act between buying groceries, paying electricity and water bills, travelling to medical appointments and purchasing medication. Some pensioners also continue to financially support grandchildren and unemployed family members from the same limited income. POSA said these pressures were among the reasons it believed a significant increase was necessary.
The Older Persons Grant increased by R80 in April this year to a maximum of R2 400 per month, while beneficiaries over the age of 75 receive R2 420.
Pensioner Ravi Nadasen, who participated in the campaign in Phoenix, said rising living costs and utility tariffs had left many pensioners dependent on their children and other family members for additional financial assistance.
“We feel like a forgotten community who is only remembered during elections,” said Nadasen, adding that pensioners having to take to the streets to draw attention to their circumstances reflected the desperation many are experiencing.
Veteran community activist and pensioner Vivian Pillay said the current R2 400 grant was simply not enough to sustain elderly residents, particularly those who carried the financial burden of supporting entire households.
“Many pensioners are putting food on the table not only for themselves, but are also supporting unemployed children and grandchildren. The R2 400 is simply not enough,” said Pillay.
He also raised concerns about the difficulties pensioners face when trying to resolve municipal service and billing issues, saying elderly residents were often forced to spend their limited income on transport to seek assistance.
“We have many councillors in Phoenix, yet pensioners still have to run from office to office and pay taxi fares just to find out what is happening with their utility bills. There should be greater assistance available to our elderly at public service departments so that they do not have to endure this additional burden,” he said.
Pillay further called for greater consideration to be given to pensioners when it comes to municipal tariffs and billing, advocating for a flat rate for elderly residents and raising concerns over estimated billing.
The sentiments were echoed by other pensioners participating in the demonstration. Many described reaching the end of the month with little or nothing left after paying essential expenses.
Another pensioner, Kamla Naidoo, described a cycle of having to borrow money to survive until the next grant payment, only to repay those debts when the grant arrives and then be forced to borrow again.
Concerned pensioners said the issue was about more than simply wanting additional money. They argued that after years of working, raising families and contributing to their communities, elderly South Africans should not have to choose between buying enough food and keeping their electricity on.
For some, medication and transport to clinics or hospitals add another unavoidable expense to already strained household budgets.
POSA has argued that the current grant is increasingly swallowed up by food, electricity, water, accommodation and transport costs and that many elderly beneficiaries are supporting extended households from their grants.
The organisation has also raised concerns about the experiences of elderly people accessing SASSA services, including long queues, system problems and delays, which it says can be particularly difficult for frail and elderly beneficiaries.
POSA stressed that the nationwide action was intended to be peaceful and was not affiliated with a political party. Its message during Monday’s demonstrations centred on the rights, dignity and future of South Africa’s elderly citizens.
Responding to the pensioners’ call for an increase in the Older Persons Grant, SASSA spokesperson Mbizeni Mdlalose said the agency was aware of the demands raised by pensioners but stressed that SASSA does not have the authority to determine or increase social grant amounts.
“SASSA’s mandate is to pay and administer social grants on behalf of the National Department of Social Development. We are aware of the demands of the pensioners, which will be handed over to the Department of Social Development as the policy-makers, who together with National Treasury make the decisions regarding social grant amounts,” said Mdlalose.
