The Portfolio Committee on Social Development is extremely concerned about the ineffective rollout of new Postbank black cards. While these new cards offer enhanced security measures, issuing cards to South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) beneficiaries has been strongly criticised.
Sassa distributes over 18 million permanent grant payments, including the Older Persons pension grant, Disability grant, War Veterans grant, Care Dependency grant, Foster Child grant, Child Support grant, Child Support grant Top-Up and Grant-in-aid.
Last year, Sassa informed beneficiaries that the Sassa Gold Card would be replaced by the new Postbank black cards. Gold cards were to remain fully operational until all grant beneficiaries had a new black card. However, their tune changed earlier this year.
Grant beneficiaries were informed that all Sassa gold cards will expire at the end of February 2025. However, following numerous calls from concerned individuals, the validity of Gold cards was extended until the end of March.
The parliamentary committee is calling the Department of Social Development together with the Department of Communication and Digital Technology, Sassa and Postbank to ensure the rollout of the new cards is dignified.
This comes after the committee reported being inundated with concerns from members of the public describing the lack of accessible renewal sites which is leading to long queues and beneficiaries, especially older persons and people with disabilities, being turned away without assistance.
The committee is inundated with calls and e-mails from beneficiaries and their families, who are frustrated with the lack of sites to issue the Black Cards. Older persons and people with disabilities are stuck in long queues and, at times, are turned away without receiving help.
The committee urged Sassa to implement an outreach programme specifically targeting older persons, people with disabilities, and those residing in care homes to ensure they receive their Black Cards at their homes.
"It calls on Sassa to implement an outreach programme to older persons, people with disabilities homes, and old age homes to ensure that their Black Cards are issued at their places of residence, as Sassa policies provide for."
The portfolio committee called for the Sassa to consider extending the rollout period. They fear many beneficiaries, especially those living in rural areas, may not be able to get their new Postbank black cards before the looming deadline.
The lack of Postbank sites in rural areas and those outside urban areas has resulted in beneficiaries struggling to access renewal sites. Furthermore, the committee is concerned that not all the 28 million grant beneficiaries will be migrated before the deadline, due to these challenges and network problems at some sites.
Grant payments remain unaffected by the rollout of cards, even after the 20 March deadline. However, its functionality will be affected and the only way beneficiaries using the gold cards can access their money after the deadline is to visit a Post Office Branch.
Sassa said, "We would like to emphasise that grant payments will continue as per usual, even after the 20th of March deadline. If beneficiaries haven't exchanged their cards by then, their grants will still be paid, but they will need to visit their nearest Post Office branch to access their funds."
