How To Prevent Unauthorized Deductions From SASSA Grant?

Did you get unauthorized deductions from your SASSA grant money? Want to know how to prevent unauthorized deductions from SASSA Grant? You’ve landed on the right page!

If you want to prevent unauthorized deductions from your SASSA grant, you can stop it by lodging a dispute. Don’t panic, it is a common problem faced by the SASSA beneficiaries which can be easily solved. SASSA also warns beneficiaries to dispute the transaction which they think is an unauthorized deduction.

In this article, I will guide you on how you can stop unauthorized deductions from SASSA grant money, how to file disputes and how you can make your account secure to prevent unauthorized decisions in future.

What Are The Common Unauthorized Deductions?

Before we talk about how you can prevent SASSA unauthorized deductions, I need you to know some common types of unauthorized deductions reported by the Beneficiaries. Below we have shared the list of all common types of deductions in SASSA grants:

Airtime and Data: If you are enrolled in any mobile services or contracts without your consent, Airtime and Data purchase charges can be deducted from your SASSA grant money.
Bank Charges: This can happen if beneficiaries are forced into unnecessary bank accounts due to a lack of digital literacy, resulting in fees.
Funeral Policies and Life Insurance: If you were unknowingly signed up for any Funeral policy or any life insurance then there may be some unauthorized deductions can be made to your grant due to these policies.
Loan Repayments: It’s quite common, that some beneficiaries were misled to take loans with high interest rates from untrustworthy lenders, who then automatically deduct repayments from their grants without their consent and known.
Retail Store Accounts: If you have subscriptions to retail store accounts, without your knowing. There might be some deductions in your grant money to cover purchases made with these accounts.
Membership Fees: If you joined any membership, such as GYM or Club, knowingly or unknowingly, there can be some charges from these memberships.

These are some most common cases reported by the SASSA beneficiaries for unauthorized deductions in their grant money. But may be, your deductions can be anything else which is not covered in the above’s list.

But don’t worry, I will also help you to detect such transactions in your SASSA account. Identifying the unauthorized transaction is the first step and the most important step if you want to previous these transactions.

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How to Detect the Unauthorized Deduction From Your SASSA Grant?

To detect an unauthorized deduction from your grant, you need to check your Account balance. Below we have shared all the methods to check your bank account balance and identify any unauthorized deductions in the SASSA Grant:

Check Balance via USSD Code: You can easily check your bank account balance by dialling *120*69277# from your SASSA registered mobile number. If this code doesn’t work then dial *120*3210#.
Check Balance via SASSA Card: Check your balance using SASSA Card by going to the nearest ATM retailer.
Check Balance via WhatsApp: You can also check your balance through WhatsApp, just save “+27820468553” as a new contact and send “Balance” to check your account balance.
Check through SASSA Office or Pay Point: You can also check your balance from SASSA offices and SASSA partnered pay points. Make sure to bring your South African ID number and registered mobile number along with you to check your balance.

Once you find how much balance you have in your bank, you can easily find out if there are any unauthorized deductions have been made or not. If there is any unauthorized transaction then follow the below shared process to stop them.

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How To Dispute & Stop Unauthorized Deductions In SASSA Grant?

Before you proceed to file a dispute, there is some information which is required. First, you need to gather all this information and then proceed with the dispute:

Company names that deducted the amount
Date and time when the amount deducted
Total amount deducted to date from that company

If you don’t have any of these details, then simply call the SASSA helpline at 0800 60 10 11 to find all the details of your unauthorized transactions.

Following are the steps that you need to follow to stop unauthorized deductions from your SASSA grant:

Submit the Dispute to Q-Link

Once you get all the information about your unauthorized deductions from SASSA grant money, then you can submit the dispute to Q-Link. Below are the steps to follow:

You need to write a message and send it to Q-Link to “34548” to file a dispute.
In the first line, write “Topic: Dispute”.
Write your South African ID Number in the second line, after Topic.
Enter your full name and surname in the third line.
Write FSP Name (the company name that deducted the amount from your SASSA grant) in the fourth line…
Write the duration of the policy, and how long the company has deducted money from your grant, in the fifth line.
In the last line, write the reason for the dispute, and explain that you don’t know about these transactions and never signed up for them.

Your message will look something like this.

Topic: Dispute
ID Number: 123456789
Name and surname: Jayshawn Jamie
FSP Name: Example Company
Duration of Policy: 3 Months
Reason for Dispute: I never signed the contract with Example Company

Once it is completed, send the message to Q-Link number at 34548.

After sending the message, you will receive a confirmation message from the SASSA that they have received your dispute. You can also call the SASSA Helpline number at 0800 60 10 11 to confirm whether they received your request or not.

Also, regularly call them to know your dispute status. The representative will ask for your South African ID Number and registered mobile number to verify your details and provide your status. That’s all how you can submit the dispute to stop unauthorized deductions from SASSA.

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FAQs On How To Prevent Unauthorized Deductions From SASSA Grant

How to stop unauthorized deductions from SASSA grants?

You can stop all the unauthorized deductions from your SASSA grant money, by filing a dispute through Q-Link. Send a message with the exact format shared on this page, to the Q-Link helpline at 34548.

How can I detect unauthorized deductions from my SASSA grant?

You can easily detect unauthorized deductions by regularly checking your bank account balance and transaction history. You can check your bank balance using multiple ways, such as USSD Code, WhatsApp, ATM, SASSA Card etc.

Will I get back the money deducted from my SASSA grant?

Yes, your full amount deducted as unauthorized deductions, will be refunded back to your bank account.

How can I find the company name which is deducting money?

You can find the company name in your bank statement, or just call to SASSA helpline at 0800 60 10 11 and ask them about the unauthorized deductions and the company which deducted the money.

How can I prevent unauthorized access to my SASSA grant funds in the future?

To prevent unauthorized access to your SASSA grant funds, follow the below-shared tips:
1. Never share your SASSA PIN with anyone
2. Immediately report a lost or stolen card
3. Call the SASSA helpline and inquire about unfamiliar deductions if there are any
4. Report any fraudulent activity to SASSA immediately

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Conclusion

If your grant money is credited after some unauthorized deductions, then firstly, you need to understand why the money has been deducted. Identifying the reason is very important before you file a dispute, then follow the steps to share the “Dispute” message to Q-Link at 34548, in the same format shared in this article. Also, remember to regularly monitor your account, and check your transaction history, and never share your SASSA PIN with anyone to be on the safe side from such unknown deductions.

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