Military veterans advocacy group Amalgamated Veterans of South Africa (AVSA) has raised its concerns over the lack of clarity with regard to South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) deductions from military veterans’ pensions, which is causing confusion for former soldiers.

Veterans over the age of 60 qualify for both the veteran’s pension (R5 775 per month) and their SASSA old age grant (R2 310 per month). However, eligible recipients are not receiving the full payout from both, with the monthly payment being capped at R5 775. Naturally, veterans are entitled to and would like to receive both amounts.

AVSA Founder and CEO Ernest Lintnaar pointed out that SASSA is a grant and veteran’s pension is a benefit thanking veterans for their service to the country. Even with an outdated threshold (which has never been updated since 2011) of R125 000, receiving both the SASSA and veteran’s pension amounts only adds up to R97 020 per annum.

Lintnaar explained that the original Military Veterans Act (No. 18 of 2011) and the recent amendment document continue to lack any mention of requiring deductions from SASSA grants.

The 2011 Act established a veterans’ pension framework, setting payments at R5 400 monthly, intended to surpass SASSA’s baseline, but offered no clarity on SASSA integration or deductions. The new amendment introduces a “2.5 SASSA multiplier,” adjusting pensions to approximately R5 775 per month, yet still omits any directive or rationale for deducting SASSA benefits, Lintnaar explained.

“This silence persists despite parliamentary concerns about dual eligibility and means testing, raising questions about intent or oversight,” Lintnaar said. Since SASSA is a grant and the military veterans’ pension is a benefit (thanks for time served) it is confusing why there is no clarity on this, he added.

“This gap affects all registered veterans, with 18 000 pending pension applications requiring over R1.25 billion annually against a budget of just R878 million. The absence of a deduction policy could disqualify veterans from SASSA support without compensation, exacerbating financial strain, especially with the DMV’s R20 million debt to SITA stalling system upgrades,” the AVSA said. “The Government Pensions Administration Agency has even cancelled their roadshows, that reach out to veterans in remote and rural areas because of the fact that the DMV has no budget for this valuable service, and therefore many veterans will suffer in the long run.”

It has urged the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans (PCDMV) to address this omission by 31 August 2025, and ensure transparent benefit coordination.