SASSA grant

SASSA beneficiaries who use the Postbank white and gold cards have been advised to use the cashback option. Photo: File

EXPLAINER: Here’s why you can’t access your SASSA grant

A number of SASSA grant beneficiaries were not able to access their money on the specified payment dates. Here’s why..

SASSA grant

SASSA beneficiaries who use the Postbank white and gold cards have been advised to use the cashback option. Photo: File

State owned bank, Postbank has provided an explanation on why SASSA grant beneficiaries across the board could not access their funds.

ATM withdrawals using the gold cards have been suspended for December only after a series of network attacks with criminal elements was uncovered.

HERE’S WHY YOU CAN’T WITHDRAW YOUR SASSA GRANT

SASSA had announced that older persons and their associated grants will be paid first followed by disability grants and child grants with the dates as follows:

Older persons – Thursday, 1 December

Disability grants – Friday, 2 December

Children’s grants – Monday, 5 December

In a statement, Postbank said it has been experiencing a number of technical glitches that disrupted the smooth withdrawal of social grants. It added that an investigation has uncovered a series of network attacks by criminal elements determined to commit systematic ATM card fraud related crimes on Postbank payments using sophisticated modus operandi. 

“As a mitigating exercise, and in consultation with our partners following the resurgence of these criminal activities at the inception of the December payments, it has become necessary that Postbank suspends SASSA grants withdrawal at ATMs for those clients using the Postbank issued SASS gold cards,” the state owned bank said.

SASSA grant
The Social Relief of Distress grant has been extended for a year. Archive photo of social grants queue: Mary-Anne Gontsana

Postbank further advised SASSA beneficiaries using the Postbank issued gold cards to withdraw their social grants monies at any retail outlet nationwide that provides cashback functionality such as Shoprite, Checkers, USave, Boxer and Pick n Pay. Furthermore, the Postbank issued gold cards are still valid and have not expired.

“We assure customers that a dedicated team of professionals assisted by experienced external experts as well as law enforcement agencies have been assigned to deal with this challenge and great progress has been made to close down all avenues used by these criminals.

“Postbank is aware of the impact that this change in payment channels will have on the social grants beneficiaries and other stakeholders, and we apologise for the inconvenience.”

Postbank

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