The agency is pushing for these beneficiaries to change their SASSA payment method as soon as possible. Who are these grant recipients and why is it so urgent they change their SASSA payment method?
As The South African has covered extensively, the Master Service Agreement (MSA) between SASSA and Postbank ceases very soon. After delays, extensions and court actions, the MSA officially ends on Wednesday 31 December 2025. Tick, tock …
CHANGE SASSA PAYMENT METHOD
As such, the South African Social Security Agency encourages anyone with a Postbank account to change their SASSA payment method as soon as possible. Long story short, Postbank says – owing to its dire financial situation – it would have had to start charging Postbank clients various fees without the most recent extension. Alarm bells …
As per the SASSA-Postbank MSA, the latter has not charged SASSA beneficiaries any such fees. However, since 2020, Postbank clients have plunged from eight million to just two million. The closing of hundreds of cashpoints, glitchy SASSA payments and chaotic card swap processes were the final nail in the coffin for the agency to sever ties.
HOW TO CHANGE YOUR SASSA PAYMENT METHOD
Nevertheless, it’s understood that between two- and three-million SASSA clients still use Postbank. Most of them are elderly and disabled and therefore unable to easily travel to a SASSA branch to make the change.
Unfortunately, there is no way to change a SASSA payment method without reporting to a branch in person. Here’s what the remaining Postbank clients will have to do before the end of the year:
- Open a bank account into which you want your SASSA grants paid.
- Keep all relevant documents/statements and/or the bank card, in the event of a new account.
- Visit a SASSA branch with a valid ID.
- Bring along your still-valid Postbank card.
BIOMETRIC ENROLMENT
Complete the mandatory Change of Payment Consent form with a SASSA staff member present. Then undergo SASSA’s mandatory biometric enrolment (digital photo and fingerprints). If you are too old or frail to travel to a branch office, a friend of family member can assist.
Contact the SASSA helpline at 0800 60 10 11 for any further guidance. October SASSA payments concluded this week, the next round will be paid in the first week of November.
