Post Office Urges R350 Grant Recipients Not to Pay for a Spot in the Queue

• Recipients of the R350 Social Relief of Distress Grant are being asked not to pay anyone offering to push them ahead in the queue at the Post Office branches
• The South African Post Office says being asked to pay for a spot in the queue is illegal and people should report incidents
• Individuals are also reminded that social distancing should be maintained at all Post Office branches

JOHANNESBURG - The South African Post Office has made a plea to recipients of the R350 Social Relief of Distress Grant to not make any payments towards being moved to the front of the queue at the post office when collecting their grant.

This call comes after a trend of self-appointed queue marshals at various branches who ask people to pay money to be pushed to the front of the line, according to The Citizen.

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In a statement issued by SAPO spokesperson Nobuhle Njapha stated that Sapo employees are also not permitted to demand a fee from recipients. People who are approached to pay a fee have been encouraged to report incidents to the police.

Individuals who report incidents can do also on the toll-free hotline provided by the Post Office on 0800 020 070. Individuals have the option to report incidents anonymously.

Post Office encourages R350 recipients to follow Covid-19 protocol

Njapha states the South African Post Office branches adhere to strict Covid-19 Lockdown regulations and encourages recipients of the R350 social relief grant to do the same.

In order to halt the spread of the coronavirus, Njapha says social distancing should be maintained and people should wear their masks and sanitise. She says that regulations will be enforced at all Post Office branches in the country.

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Recipients of the R350 grant do not have to go to the post office every month

According to Njapha, recipients of the R350 social relief grant have the option of not going to the post office every single month to get their grant.

The Post Office offers the option for individuals to receive their grants via their Postbank account. Should recipients be interested in this option they are advised to speak to someone at the local post office for assistance.

Sassa asks R350 social relief grant applicants to wait for SMS confirmation before heading to the Post Office

Briefly News previously reported that recipients of the R350 Social Relief of Distress grant have been encouraged to wait for an SMS confirmation before going to the Post Office to collect their grant by the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa).

Sassa's plea comes after the organisation stated last week that some recipients have already been paid out their grant.

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Sassa spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi stated in an interview with SABC News applicants who did not provide the agency with their banking details should not go to the Post Office to queue for their grant.

Letsatsi stated that people that go to the Post Office before receiving SMS confirmation will be given any assistance upon arrival.

Source: Briefly News