Bonita’s Unfair Treatment of Pensioner

I am so disappointed in the manner with which my mother’s query has been dealt with. She is a pensioner and has been a member of Boncap for some time now. She has always been on the low income bracket contribution package and this year was suddenly debited 2 months in a row for the full amount of R4300, which she cannot afford and has left in her in serious financial trouble. She advised me of the debit order that went off in January, (she normally pays R1800 and was debited R4300). I called in to query and was told she has to provide proof of income. She never received any correspondence of any kind requesting same. She lives with me and we searched high and low for this mail, she never received anything to that effect. We have previously submitted proof that she gets a pension from SASSA and does not earn any other income other than the donations my brother and I give her now and then. How does an elderly person suddenly go from being a pensioner to being permanently employed??? It makes no sense, but I do understand you have processes and procedures to comply with. Which is why we comp**** and submitted all the necessary documentation required. But I was told it was too late and she will be debited again for the full amount of R4300. I relayed to the consultant the debit order may bounce as she does not have that kind of money. What disturbed me the most, was the lack of empathy and assistance. It is what it is and that is that. I do understand that, I too work in the financial sector and I get there are rules but we do now and then in good faith assist where we can. I spoke to numerous consultants during the month of January and requested that a consideration be made to reimburse the monies that were unfairly taken from a 71 year old pensioner as we had provided all the proof that she is indeed a pensioner. Only to be told it was too late. Had we received the mail/correspondence advising to prove income we would have done so in due time. It is not our intention to deceive anyone, my mother genuinely had no knowledge she had to annually submit these documents. This matter has left a sour taste in our mouths and we question the integrity of your company. How you treat your members unfairly. It is just so sad that you can treat an elderly person in this manner and take her money when you can clearly see she does not have any. Appalled to say the least.