still glitches in payment system

Ismail added that pensioners and people with disabilities were standing in long lines at retail stores without chairs or toilets.

“Safety is also a concern for us because they are withdrawing at tills which leaves them vulnerable to criminals. Usually at pay points there were officials to assist but at ATMs the elderly out of desperation are asking random people to assist them‚” said Ismail.

Some retail outlets have had to make special arrangements to accommodate the higher number of people wanting to withdraw cash.

Andrew Mills‚ marketing director at Boxer‚ told GroundUp that to prepare for the influx of beneficiaries Boxer usually ensured that all its till points were open. There were also ATMs in some stores.

Boxer had for years been enabling beneficiaries to withdraw their grants at all its 257 stores‚ he said.

“We mostly get withdrawals for child support and foster care grants. Some beneficiaries choose to keep the money on their cards and swipe when they buy at the store while others prefer to withdraw the full grants‚” said Mills.

He said cash deliveries were staggered. “Our main concern is still crime. We need to bolster our security‚ not only for our clients but also for our staff.”

He added that some stores would open earlier in summer to accommodate beneficiaries who came early.

-GroundUp

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