Thousands of social grant beneficiaries who are still using the SASSA Gold Card have been told they must complete the replacement process before 31 August 2026 or risk disruption to their grant payments. After several deadline extensions since early 2025, there is still confusion about whether this is the final cut-off and what beneficiaries are required to do.
Black Sash Regional Manager for KwaZulu-Natal, Evashnee Naidu, says the issue is often misunderstood because this is not simply a matter of swapping one card for another.
“People are often unaware that replacing a Gold Card with a Postbank Black Card and moving a grant to a different bank are administratively distinct,” she says.
With a Postbank card, the update happens automatically. You go into a Postbank branch or any participating retailer, such as Shoprite, Checkers, Usave, Pick n Pay, Boxer, and Spar, with your Gold Card and ID, and Postbank will upload the change onto the system and alert SASSA that you’ve changed your method of payment.
If, however, a beneficiary chooses to move their grant to any other bank account in their own name, it requires a SASSA Annexure C (change of payment method) form to be completed and stamped by the bank of your choice, and must be submitted in person at a SASSA office.
Naidu adds, however, that the Annexure C form must reach SASSA before the 20th of the month for the change of bank to take effect in the following payment cycle; and that forms submitted after that date may take two payment cycles to reflect.
“For example, if I sent in my form on the 31st of July in the August pay cycle, it will go back into my SASSA card, and only in the September cycle would it reflect in my bank account,” she says. Forms submitted after the 20th take two full payment cycles to process, not one.
Why beneficiaries are staying put
According to Naidu, some beneficiaries are reluctant to change banks because of bank charges.
Postbank has historically been subsidised by SASSA, which meant no or lower bank fees for social grant beneficiaries. The Postbank black card currently includes a free bank statement, one free card replacement, a set number of free card swipes and three free withdrawals a month. Black Sash advises beneficiaries and partner organisations to confirm bank charges and current limits directly with Postbank.
The second reason beneficiaries are hesitant to use a different bank is the risk of being flagged for a grant review through bank verification processes, if their bank account shows other deposits.
“Some Child Support Grant recipients who moved their payment into a different bank account were flagged for income verification once the bank detected other deposits into the same account,” said Naidu.
Recent reporting by Open Secrets and Daily Maverick cited a High Court judgment specific to SRD grant verification, which found that SASSA’s bank-verification process could wrongly treat non-income deposits – such as gifts, funeral contributions or other transfers – as income. That ruling is under appeal, but is an example of the concern beneficiaries may have about SASSAs use of the verification process.
Scam Alert
Naidu also warns that beneficiaries should be cautious of scams and false promises around card replacement or grant payment changes. No legitimate bank, SASSA official, or payment agent should ever ask for a PIN, one-time password or password by phone, text message or link.
No one should charge a fee to replace a card or help with a grant payment change, and beneficiaries should never hand over their ID, card, PIN or OTP to anyone claiming to assist them outside an official process.
Need help with this?
For free paralegal advice on this or any social grant issue, contact the Black Sash National Helpline on 072 66 33 73, 072 633 3739 or 063 610 1865, or email helpline@blacksash.org.za.