Delayed death benefit paid after Public Protector intervenes
The complaint related to a death benefit that had not been paid despite the family having lost its breadwinner.
Two separate interventions by the Public Protector South Africa (PPSA) have helped unlock long-delayed payments owed to vulnerable beneficiaries, including the family of a police officer killed in the line of duty and two Gauteng pensioners who had gone months without receiving their grants.
In one case, a family that had been waiting for a death benefit payout from the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) finally received payment after the Public Protector stepped in.
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According to the PPSA, one of the beneficiaries approached the institution after being referred by a colleague.
The complaint related to a death benefit that had not been paid despite the family having lost its breadwinner.
The deceased, who was reportedly shot and killed while on duty, had supported the family financially. Following the death, relatives struggled to make ends meet while awaiting the payout.
“It was difficult,” one of the beneficiaries said.
We had a lot to cover and did not have much to survive on.
The Public Protector said that following its intervention, the GEPF fast-tracked the matter and processed the payment. The complainant subsequently confirmed receipt of the funds.
The beneficiary thanked the PPSA investigation team, saying: “You helped us phenomenally. I am so grateful, you handled everything with utmost professionalism.”
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In a separate matter, two Gauteng pensioners were finally able to access their old-age grant payments after intervention by the Public Protector.
The pensioners had complained that the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) had failed to pay their grants for several months despite numerous enquiries and submissions.
According to the PPSA, the pensioners had repeatedly sought assurances that the issue would be resolved, but weeks and months passed without their accounts reflecting any payments.
Following the intervention, Sassa paid the outstanding grant amounts.
“The first thing we did with that money was to purchase the medicine which was urgently needed,” one of the pensioners said.
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The beneficiaries said the assistance restored their faith in public institutions.
They told the Public Protector that the intervention “bears out the existence of selfless individuals in our midst and has restored our faith in humanity”.
The Public Protector has encouraged members of the public experiencing difficulties with state entities, municipalities or government departments to approach the institution for assistance in resolving complaints.
