Update on Postbank System Failures and Challenges in Social Grant Payments
The presentation outlines the recent system failures experienced by Postbank, affecting social grant payments. Funds were deducted from accounts but not reverted after failed withdrawals. Postbank has corrected most accounts manually, but some beneficiaries may still need assistance. Challenges include overwhelmed call centres, communication issues, and high client traffic at local offices. SASSA has increased resources to address the situation efficiently.
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Presentation Transcript
Presentation Outline Purpose Background to social grant payment Postbank System Challenges Update on Postbank system failures Recomendations
Purpose The purpose of this presentation is to provide an update on: The system failure experienced by the Postbank Current status Ongoing challenge
Background to the Social Grant payments All social grants are paid into bank accounts Payments are made through 21 Banks For those who don t have bank accounts, Postbank opens accounts for them. ALL payments by SASSA were successfully executed on their respective pay dates (all beneficiaries were successfully paid into their bank accounts) 1 of the 21 banks failed unfortunately its also the bank that serves our largest client group (approximately 40% of our clients)
Postbank system failures On Tuesday, the Postbank experienced challenges at ATMs and retailers, leading to failed withdrawal attempts. Unfortunately, when clients attempted withdrawals, the funds were deducted from their accounts and were not automatically reversed when the withdrawals failed. Consequently, many clients have been unable to access their funds since then insufficient funds notice . To rectify this, a manual process was implemented to reverse these transactions.
Update on the challenge Postbank has confirmed that the majority of these accounts have now been corrected, i.e. failed withdrawals have been credited to the accounts (over 500 thousand accounts affected) However, it is important to acknowledge that due to the manual processes involved, there may still be a few beneficiaries in need of assistance. To remedy this, the beneficiary needs to contact the Postbank call centre at 0800 53 54 55 or sending an email to PBbalancingSaswitch@postbank.co.za, with the following information: The affected beneficiary's ID, and The card number Postbank has a dedicated team in place working around the clock and is committed to resolving all escalated cases within 4 hours.
Further Challenges Both SASSA and Postbank call centres were overwhelmed Balance inquiry check (via USSD) Communication during a crises need to be improved Huge influx of clients into local offices requesting to change their banking details SASSA has increased resources / capacity to handle the increased workload. Increased office hours in high demand areas and/ or Diverting to offsite handling through outreach programmes
Recommendations It s recommended that the PC notes the system challenges affecting the Postbank and the impact it had on Old Age Beneficiaries. Members assist with spreading the message to those that still have not had their funds reversed Toll free number: 0800 53 54 55 Email: PBbalancingSaswitch@postbank.co.za
