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Sassa grant payments resume at the post office and via ATM
You should be able to withdraw your grant at the ATM or collect it from the post office but not yet at retailers like Checkers, Pick n Pay and Boxer.
Thousands were left stranded while trying to collect their social grants this week. Picture; Nigel Sibanda
After hours of frustration and anger, social grant beneficiaries were finally able to receive their money on Wednesday morning.
Postbank, which pays out the grants, ran into technical issues this week that left thousands stranded in queues.
The glitch prevented some beneficiaries from withdrawing their funds from ATMs, post office branches and retailers.
Postbank spokesperson Dr Bongani Diako confirmed on Wednesday that the issue preventing people from withdrawing their grant at ATMs and the Post Office had been fixed.
“This means that SASSA customers using the Postbank SASSA Gold Cards can now immediately access their social grants moneys via ATM’s and Post Office branches”.
Postbank said it is still working on payments made via retailers like Checkers, Pick n Pay and Boxer stores.
“Postbank’s technical teams are working on restoring the transactions inside the retailers to full capacity as there are still intermittent challenges with transactions performed through this channel. We apologise to our valued customers for the inconvenience caused by this incident and thank them for their patience,” he said.
Reversals will occur soon
Diako said the processing of the reversals of funds debited on the accounts that declined since yesterday due to the system error is underway.
Beneficiaries who have attempted withdrawals since yesterday are urged to give this process some time before attempting any further transactions.
“It is anticipated that the funds will be reversed into all beneficiaries’ accounts approximately in the next 24 hours.”
He called the technical challenges “an isolated incident that is not related to the validity of the Postbank Sassa gold cards”.
“Sassa gold cards remain valid as a means of accessing social grants payments despite the expiry date written on the cards until Postbank replaces the cards within the cards replacement period granted to them by the Reserve Bank”.
Meanwhile, last year Sassa also suffered system challenges that left thousands waiting for their money.
‘I believe they did this intentionally’
Pensioners shared their anger when their cards were declined at till points.
Michael Botha (68) told Zululand Observer he intended to fill his car’s fuel tank in light of the petrol price increasing at midnight.
“The government is robbing us. I believe they did this intentionally. We are in the dark, nobody knows what is happening. They have failed even to make an announcement.”
Beauty Shange (72) said she filled her supermarket trolley with necessities, but was heartbroken when she got to the till point and discovered there was no money on her Sassa card.
“I nearly fainted as there was no food left at home. Now the challenge is to go back home,” she said on Tuesday afternoon.
“I use public transport and have no money to go home. I am stranded in Richards Bay CBD,” she said.
