Question NW2438 to the Minister of Social Development
31 July 2023 - NW2438
Breedt, Ms T to ask the Minister of Social Development
(1)With reference to the expiry date of the gold cards of the SA Social Security Agency (SASSA) being postponed until 31 December 2023, what process do SASSA beneficiaries need to follow in order to renew their SASSA gold cards; (2) whether any plans are in place to roll out the renewal process of the gold cards before 31 December 2023; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) whether any plans are in place to prevent thousands of beneficiaries from running out of time to renew their gold cards; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (4) what steps should those SASSA beneficiaries take who wish to replace their gold cards early?
Reply:
1. Currently, SASSA is notifying all grants beneficiaries of the card expiration date. In addition, beneficiaries are informed of their right to either renew their cards or open an account at any bank of their choice. The target is to ensure the renewal of cards that are due to expire at the end of December 2023 to avoid inconvenience.
2. Yes, Postbank team has prepared a SASSA Card Replacement Distribution Plan. This will serve as a framework upon which the card replacement program roll-out will be undertaken throughout the country.
3. The SASSA Card Replacement Distribution Plan seeks to mitigate such challenges and ensure timely information is shared with the public within a reasonable period of time. This will allow all beneficiaries enough time to collect their cards before 31 December 2023. Postbank plans to allocate approximately 2000 employees to card the replacement activities.
4. Postbank will communicate the introduction of the new card following consultations with the South African Reserve Bank and the industry. Beneficiaries will be notified on time to utilize identified channels in a staggered approach to replace their gold card. All the gold cards will be replaced with black cards and this will be communicated to the public. All efforts are currently being made to ensure that Postbank is ready to issue the cards before December 2023.