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Answers to your questions

Have a question you would like answered? Email us and we may answer it. The questions here are based on ones from our readers, with identifying information removed.

Please note: GroundUp is just a news agency. We are not lawyers or financial advisors, and we have nothing to do with SASSA, Home Affairs, or any other government bodies. We do our best to make the answers accurate using publicly available information, but we cannot accept any legal liability if there are errors. If you notice any discrepancies, please email [email protected].

What can I do if my husband was killed while working and his employer refuses to cooperate with the compensation process?

The employer is breaking the law, and you have the right to report them and file a claim directly with the Compensation Commissioner to access the death benefits, for yourself and your children.

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Can I apply for a print of my sister’s birth certificate using my ID?

Yes you can. Home Affairs will recognise that you have a right to represent your sister in the absence of any parent or guardian.

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Can the only surviving adult child evict the grandchildren from their late grandmother’s house if there is no will?

No, they cannot evict their deceased mother’s grandchildren from her house. Your uncle is entitled to a share of the home as is the dependents of his deceased sibling's children.

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I've been unemployed since 2022 and submitted my UIF claim multiple times and got confirmation SMS's but received no payment. Please help.

You should lay a complaint against the UIF at the Department of Employment and Labour.

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How can I check the status of my father's RDP application if he applied with a Dompas? Using his ID number does not work.

You need an ID to apply for an RDP house, so I'm not sure how it would work with a Dompas. He should go to the municipality with his ID and ask for help.

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My late grandmother only listed one dependant to benefit from her house but there are five of us. Can this still be amended?

No, it can’t be amended after her death.

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My mother's RDP was given to someone she doesn't know in another province. They're wrongly listed as her spouse. What can we do?

Your mother should return to the municipality where she applied for the RDP house with her documents and ask them to investigate how it was wrongly awarded to someone she doesn’t know.

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I am struggling to get my ID. My guardian who signed my birth certificate has died. I don't have his death certificate and Home Affairs says he is still alive. What can I do?

You first need to confirm his death was registered at the Master's Office so you can take his death certificate to Home Affairs and apply for your ID.

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Will withdrawing my provident fund affect my disability grant income?

It depends whether your monthly provident fund withdrawals put you over the maximum allowed income to qualify for the disability grant.

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Can I be paid my UIF and SASSA pension while also getting money from my old job?

Yes, but SASSA grants are means tested, and UIF and pension benefits count as income, so your grant will be less.

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