‘A criminal in jail is more privileged’: Pensioners vent over grant shortfall
· The South African
A recent article published by The South African covering the state of South Africa’s Older Persons Grant has triggered a wave of frustrated responses on Facebook, with readers questioning why elderly citizens who spent decades contributing to the tax system are struggling to survive on a R2 400 SASSA grant a month.
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Among the flood of comments beneath the article, Nola Van Loggerenberg’s response captured the mood of many: “An absolute disgrace that a criminal in jail is more privileged than old age pensioners who contributed to taxes when they were working.” She continued, “No one can survive on R2 400 a month, it is just impossible.”
The comparison resonated widely. David Hobongwana agreed, writing, “It is true prisoners are treated better than senior citizens who have contributed to this country,” while Stephen Rafferty added a sharper note of sarcasm: “Prisoners deserve more money.”
A demand for grants to match prison welfare costs
Adel Meyer pushed the comparison further, suggesting that “pension should be the same amount as the cost to care for a prisoner”, a comment that gathered visible support from other readers replying to underneath it.
Roselin Naidoo distilled the sentiment into a single line: “Prisoners are privileged while our elderly suffer,” while Marietjie Viljoen called the situation “a brutal shame against us elderly.”
Grant amount continues to draw scrutiny
The Older Persons Grant, currently R2 400 for pensioners aged 60 and over, has repeatedly come under fire on social media whenever SASSA-related articles are published, with the prisoner-welfare comparison resurfacing as a recurring theme among frustrated commenters.
For many elderly South Africans relying solely on the grant, the response beneath The South African’s article reflects a broader and ongoing concern: that the payment no longer reflects the real cost of surviving month to month, let alone rewards decades of tax contributions made while working.
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