Mpumalanga, South Africa: The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has issued statements addressing the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant approval process and concerns regarding the replacement of expired SASSA Gold Cards.
SASSA confirms that SRD grant applications are approved only after verifying applicants meet the no-income requirement. The verification process includes checking banking details, citizenship with the Department of Home Affairs, and registration with the Department of Labour’s Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF). Pending applications signify that the verification process is still ongoing. Delays in receiving the R350 grant after approval may occur if beneficiaries only choose their preferred bank without providing a bank account.
In a separate statement, SASSA acknowledged the difficulties faced by social grant recipients regarding the replacement of expired SASSA Gold Cards. The SASSA Gold Card, issued by Postbank, allows recipients to transact using the card and PIN code at various outlets, including banks’ ATMs, SAPO branches, retailers, and Cash Pay Points (CPP). By law, all VISA and MasterCards expire every five years.
With about 5.9 million social grant recipients using SASSA Gold cards, the majority will expire by June 2023. Clients should check their cards’ expiry dates. Payments will continue to be processed, and funds are securely stored in clients’ bank accounts. To access these funds, recipients can replace their SASSA Gold Card at designated SAPO branches or alternative Postbank-provided venues, participating retailers, or use Postbank’s cardless withdrawal option. Clients can also choose to use another bank’s services, requiring a change of payment method at a local SASSA office or an alternative venue provided by SASSA.
Beneficiaries are urged to regularly check their personal details to ensure correctness and proper grant disbursement. For more information, contact SASSA’s toll-free number at 0800 60 10 11 or 013 574 9428/9363 from 08:00 – 16:00 during weekdays.