How can I get my SRD money out of my Postbank account?

The long answer

I’m afraid that you are not alone in having this problem. In a Social Development Portfolio Committee meeting in Parliament in February 2025, it was said that 25% of grant funds which had been allocated remained in banks, and it was not clear if this was due to the grants being unclaimed or payment delays.

At that meeting, the Minister of Social Development (DSD), Sisisi Tolashe, admitted that there was an ongoing crisis where many beneficiaries were losing several months’ worth of their grants because of verification issues, as well as “disruptions at Postbank” that caused beneficiaries to struggle to access their funds. She said that SASSA and the DSD were working very hard on these problems, but Postbank’s payment system was slow and unreliable, and Postbank had failed to provide a workable plan. 

On the question of delays in payment being due to delays in banking verification, SASSA said it was working to speed up payments and make sure that the intended recipients received their funds. 

The Portfolio committee was also worried about beneficiaries who often changed their phone numbers. Members asked how SASSA made sure these people received their grants.

SASSA said it was developing a phone number revalidation process, which required beneficiaries to confirm ownership every six months. Beneficiaries who changed their phone numbers had to update their details through an identity-linked process to prevent fraud.

SASSA said that biometrics (fingerprints, etc.) would be introduced as part of the 2025–2026 financial year strategy. The first phase would focus on high-risk transactions, such as changes to beneficiary banking details. 

Fast forward to August 2025:  

The Parliamentary Monitoring Group reported that DSD Minister Tolashe explained that although SASSA was ending its contractual relationship with Postbank at the end of September 2025, “Postbank remains a fully licensed and operational financial institution, and beneficiaries will continue to receive their grants in their Postbank accounts, just as they have before. No change in this regard will occur.”

But if grant beneficiaries wanted to change to another bank, SASSA would provide “switching facilities” to them.  

Fast forward to October 2025: 

The Postbank contract with SASSA has been extended by three months, and SASSA says beneficiaries can continue to use their existing Postbank account and card as usual, to receive their grants without disruption.

The payment dates for the SRD grant in October 2025 are from 24–29 October.

So, if you are still not able to access your SRD grant in your Postbank account, these are the contact details Postbank gives for SRD grant problems: 

SASSA SRD Enquiries

Hotline: 080 060 10 11 

Tel: 013 754 9439 /9428/9454

There is also a Postbank toll-free number: 0800 53 54 55

You can also email them at: postbank.enquiries@postbank.co.za or PBHelpdesk@postbank.co.za

They also say that you can go to a Post Office with a Postbank branch and speak to an agent directly.

And finally, if you are not speedily assisted by Postbank, you could approach an organisation like the Black Sash, which has a lot of experience with SASSA grant problems, for help. These are their contact details:

• Black Sash

Email: help@blacksash.org.za and info@blacksash.org.za

Tel (national office): 021 686 6952

Helpline: 072 66 33 73, 072 633 3739 or 063 610 1865

Wishing you the best,
Athalie