Question NW910 to the Minister of Social Development

Reply:

1.(a) The total assessment backlog picture inclusive of all the provinces, stands at 2 818 as of 18 March 2023.

CLIENTS AWAITING ASSESSMENTS
Region	Awaiting  Assessments	Awaiting ≥ 30 days (Backlogs)
Eastern Cape	2464	30
Free State	2212	32
Gauteng	5084	238
Kwa Zulu-Natal	6246	470
Limpopo	3608	67
Mpumalanga	2956	77
Northern Cape	2521	4
North West	2040	207
Western Cape	7297	1693
TOTAL	34428	2818

(b) A total of 232 505 Temporary Disability Grants has lapsed between April 2022 and February 2023.

Number of Temporary disability grants lapsed between April 2022 and February 2023
Region	Number of TDGs per month of lapsing
	Apr 22	May 22	June 22	July 22	Aug 22	Sept22	Oct 22	Nov 22	Dec 22	Jan 23	Feb 23	Total
EC		1 237	1 261	1 010	506	418	1976	1713	1153	1351	1079	11 704
FS	1 599	1 387	1 231	1 553	1 680	1600	1750	1160	1448	2082	2299	17 789
GP	3 372	2 348	1 946	2 656	3 118	2867	3254	2460	2853	4023	5254	34 151
KZN		3 766	2 858	4 335	4 245	3880	4663	3499	4045	5209	5259	41 759
LP	767	1 467	1 692	1 975	2 007	1835	1863	1303	2348	3555	3950	22 762
MP		1 330	1 330	1 409	1 599	1260	1308	984	1154	1712	2206	14 292
NC	1 877	1 754	1 574	2 052	2 288	1969	2064	1819	1478	2369	2516	21 760
NW	1 330	1 159	1 159	1 270	1 278	1113	1138	952	1075	1383	1309	13 166
WC	6 481	5 328	3 879	4 755	4 635	4282	4974	4531	3713	5467	7083	55 128
Total	15 426	19 776	16 924	21 015	21 356	19224	22990	18421	19267	27151	30955	232 505

(c) SASSA has contracted a total of 315 doctors across the country, however, it should be noted that for the Western Cape Region, assessments are largely conducted through Service Level Agreements held with the Districts Health Care System. In the WC Tertiary, Secondary and Districts Hospitals also undertake assessments to in-patients clients deemed to be meeting the eligibility criteria prior to their discharge. Regional Distribution of doctors as below:

Number of Assessment Doctors Per Region
Region	No. of doctors
Eastern Cape	30
Free State	32
Gauteng	49
KwaZulu-Natal	74
Limpopo	49
Mpumalanga	25
Northern Cape	26
North West	19
Western Cape	11
TOTAL	315

(d ) A total of 3 502 appointments were made through the Online platform from April 2022 until February 2023 and the system has been highly efficient where clients elected to utilize it to make assessment bookings.

(e ) SASSA has an institutionalized backlog Strategy that is activated upon realization of risk of backlog build up, this may include:

• Booking System (EMAST) red-flagging clients that are booked in a backlog fashion at point of booking (Pro-active flagging of clients wherein the difference between the booking and scheduled assessment dates is more than 30 days defined as a backlog);
• Ferrying assessors from far flung areas into backlog prone areas to undertake assessments;
• Increasing assessment seating frequencies and number of assessors per seating;
• Increasing the number of assessments an assessor may conduct per assessment seating (This requires a prior approval from the GM for Grants Administration in Regions); and  
• As a last resort the Agency has endorsed paper-based assessments in certain parts of the Western Cape in instances wherein there is sufficient/ adequate clinical information for such format of an assessment to take place (Prior Approval for this format of assessment is required from the GM for Grants Administration).
• Recruitment of additional doctors through the publication of Tender Bids, especially in the Western Cape Region. The region is currently exploring placing another Tender Bid subsequent to a poor response to the previous Bid;
• Engaging the Western Cape Public Health System/ clinicians on the eligibility criteria so as to empower them on conducting of social assistance assessments and lobbying them to undertake assessments on inpatients prior to discharge instead of referring clients to seek assessments bookings on their own subsequent to discharge (Clinician initiated Assessments in clients with a high likelihood of qualification and the Tag Strategy is “Why Refer When you can Assess”.