Social grant beneficiaries were left in the lurch on Thursday following bombshell announcements by both the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) and South African Post Office (SAPO) that payouts would no longer be dispensed via post offices.
SASSA Eastern Cape spokesperson Tabisa Nondwayi-Myaba told Algoa FM News that this was the case because SAPO had been running low on cash.
She urged beneficiaries of all social grants, including the R350 Social Relief of Distress grant as well as the elderly, disability and child support grants, not to go to post offices to collect their money.
Nondwayi-Myaba said: “Now that the post office has run out of cash, we have requested them [beneficiaries] to go back on the system and change the payment method on the Sassa website.”
SASSA said beneficiaries can access their money at Pick n Pay, Boxer, U-Save and Shoprite stores.
“So that’s what we’ve done for those beneficiaries who were receiving their money at the post office,” Nondwayi-Myaba said.
She said it’s not only people who were collecting their grants at post offices that are affected, saying it includes beneficiaries in remote and rural areas.
In a statement on Thursday morning, the agency said it was implementing contingency measures “where both SASSA and SAPO staff are present at the pay points and are assisting all clients to receive PINs so that they can transact at the nearest retail outlets and bank ATMs”.
It maintained that the drastic change in what millions of beneficiaries countrywide have become accustomed to was a result of challenges beyond its control. This, the agency said, is as a result of challenges beyond its control.
“This challenge is extended to post office outlets as well, so clients are advised not to go to any post office branch to try to access the funds,” the agency said.
SAPO also confirmed it would no longer be paying social grants.
Spokesperson Johan Kruger apologised to clients following the shock announcement.
“That was an oversight on our part,” Kruger acknowledged.
“Even if they [beneficiaries] have re-applied, and they’ve got their own phone number on [the system] and chose to get their money via the Post Bank system, then they still can still go to a retailer. The only ones who cannot go [to a retailer or bank ATMs] are those people who shared a phone number,” he said.
Beneficiaries who had been receiving their grants via their personal bank accounts are not affected.
SASSA apologised to clients who were affected.
The agency said it would continue to engage with communities and local leadership, including traditional leaders and/or councillors, to inform clients of the options they have to access their funds.
Any queries should be directed to the SASSA call centre on 0800 60 10 11.
