There are many problems that people have when they apply for grants. There are also problems that people have relating to the payment of grants or lapsing of grants. This section provides a list of some of the problems, and some things you can do about them.

The Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (No 3 of 2000) (also called the PAJA) is an important Act that says everybody has a right to administrative justice that is lawful, reasonable and procedurally fair.

All government departments and their officials and private people who exercise public powers or perform public functions have to comply with the PAJA. ‘Procedural fairness’ means:

• An administrator should not make a decision that affects someone without first hearing what they have to say
• An administrator must be seen by everyone to be making a decision fairly and impartially (without any bias) and not because they have a private or personal interest in the matter.

An administrative action is a decision that affects the rights of:

• Individual people, for example, a decision to refuse an application for a child grant
• The general public – for example, a decision to change the age for being eligible for a child grant

There are different procedures that an administrator has to follow in each of these cases and different actions that can be taken if an official doesn’t follow the requirements and procedures of the PAJA. (See Section 33: just Administrative Action) The PAJA has important implications for people applying for grants. You can use this Act to help people in different situations where they have problems being paid their grants.

This is the list of problems in this section:

1. Application for grant turned down
2. Not having a bank account
3. Bribery
4. Long delay in getting grant
5. Moving from one place to another
6. Applicant wants to apply for a Disability Grant and Child Support Grant but does not have the correct documents
7. Shops refuse to honour vouchers given as a Social Relief of Distress Grant
8. Person receiving an Older Person’s Grant needs full-time care
9. Getting a new power of attorney or procurator
10. Grant stops when not collected
11. SASSA paypoint runs out of money
12. Applying for back pay
13. SASSA officers are rude to grant applicants
14. Foster Child Grant is terminated because social worker does not extend the foster care court order
15. Grant beneficiary’s circumstances changes and she does not report this to SASSA
16. Grandmother is being paid to take care of a child