Hartswater-The SA Social Security Agency’s re-registration process was a “folly” that had led to disaster for the poor, the DA said.

The recent incident took place in Hartswater, in North Cape where beneficiaries experienced difficulties while trying to access their money.

The department spokesperson, Innocent Khunou admits that they have received complaints from most beneficiaries.

“We have received many complaints as many people expereience difficulties when trying to draw their money” Innocent Khunou told sabc.

The party’s leader in the National Council of Provinces, Elza van Lingen, said she would write to Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini to complain.

Khunou said their department is investigating problem.

Van Lingen said the re-registration had given rise to many problems, including the issuing of new cards that were not compatible with certain ATMs, incorrect amounts being paid to beneficiaries and in some cases no payments made at all.

 

“When the cards do not work, they are usually ‘swallowed’ by ATMs, leaving many indigent South Africans without access to their much-needed support,” she said.

 

Van Lingen said she had also received reports that some grant recipients had not been paid since April 1, leaving the families without food.

 

“There are also instances of cases where pensioners were only paid R800 instead of the full R1 200 they’re entitled to.”

 

She said the minister needed to urgently address this.

 

“We cannot allow those that need our help most to be mistreated like this.”

 

Since the re-registration opened last year, Daily News readers have turned to the newspaper with complaints.

 

Some claimed that their new cards did not work at some of the major supermarkets that are used as pay points.

 

Bluff pensioner Irvin Labuschane, 61, called the Daily News earlier this week, saying he had not been able to receive his pension since he received the new card at the beginning of last month.

 

Whenever he tried to use his card, he got an error message that said his PIN was invalid, he said.

 

“This is just too frustrating, because even if you go to their offices, you find long queues of people who are experiencing similar problems, but we are not getting any assistance,” he said. “Why did the agency decide to change the old system, because it was working perfectly?”

 

National spokesman, Kgomoco Diseko, said the agency was aware of some of the problems with the new cards and urged those experiencing difficulties to contact their nearest agency office.

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