Problems with social grant disbursements were accentuated in October 2025, when a large number of older pensioners in South Africa had been seriously inconvenienced. The Old Age Grant has often been either late or half paid, interrupted by bank errors, thereby containing the livelihood basis for thousands of senior citizens. Attempting to withdraw funds through ATMs or pay points, beneficiaries would be greeted with zero balance or the wrong amount shown on the screen. These problems are mostly keenly felt in rural or remote areas where interchange with alternate financial services is limited in itself.
These delays bring forth far more unpleasantness than are mere inconveniences. In some cases, the pensioners receive the grant as their only source of income to purchase basics such as food or medication. News of the growing anxiety and frustration has summoned calls for SASSA to address and rectify these errors immediately.
What Went Wrong?: Errors, Omissions & Banking Systems
A myriad of faults cause this growing crisis this month. There are cases where pensioners received partial amounts to the grants; others did not receive any grant, with rejections or mismatches usually from the banking side. As social media posts indicated, Postbank services were particularly compromised in this respect-with many funds being blocked, rejected, or delayed for payment to people who use Postbank accounts.
In quite a few areas, pensioners found the ATM show them the balance but no cash was dispensed, and pay-point stores declined payments due to alleged system errors. In several instances, seniors thus had to seek financial support from friends and family while getting the matter sorted out.
Who Gets It & How Much Do They Stand to Get?
For one to get guaranteed Old Age Grant payments, one must be a South African citizen or resident and 60 years of age or older (for the majority of beneficiaries). The grant is designed for people whose income and assets are limited.
According to this report, the grant amounts for 2025 are:
- R2,180 per month for pensioners aged 60–74
- R2,200 per month for pensioners aged 75 and above
- There are other grants like War Veteran, Disability, Care Dependency, and Foster Child with their monthly rates noted alongside as well.
Which Areas Are Hardest Hit
The impact is irregular across the provinces. Regions such as Eastern Cape, Limpopo, and KwaZulu-Natal report the highest proportions of pensioners affected. The majority of these rely heavily on PostBank and local paypoints for funds disbursement. According to reports in those areas 20-30% of pensioners are reportedly facing difficulties. In contrast, the disruption appears to be lower in areas such as Gauteng and Western Cape, where transfers via banks are more commonly used.
SASSA: What They Are Doing & How They Are Responding
SASSA has acknowledged the errors and promised to investigate the root causes of the failed or delayed payments. They have agreed to work with the banking partners, especially Postbank, to restore service and clear backlog payments. In some affected areas, planning is underway for the deployment of mobile cash vans to assist elder persons who are unable to access banking or pay-points. SASSA also hopes to improve verification systems such as ID matching, biometric checks to prevent mismatches in the future.
What Pensioners Should Do Right Now
If your October payment is missing or incorrect you must:
- Check your account balance or SASSA card statement to confirm what was deposited or wasn’t deposited;
- Visit either your nearest SASSA office or Post Office with your ID number to report the problem;
- Call the national SASSA hotline for assistance at 0800 60 10 11;
- Bring along ID and proof of your normal grant amount when asking for any correction to be made;
- Seek the support of family or community groups if you find yourself unable to go there by yourselves.
Also Read: SASSA Reveals October and November Payment Dates – Check Updated Grant