Biometric IDV requirement for SA relief grant beneficiaries sparks complaints

Some beneficiaries of Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grants managed by the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) must now complete a biometric identity verification (IDV) process before they are served, but the idea has not gone down well with many.

The IDV requirement, which is said to have been introduced to fight fraud in the scheme at the beginning of this year, has come against criticisms, as reported by Ground Up.

Per the outlet, many beneficiaries say they are unable to have access to their grants since the new rule was introduced. The report cites the case of a man, Lerverch Pieters, who lost his job in January 2024, and has difficulties receiving his grants.

SASSA spokesperson, Paseka Letsatsi, insisted the biometric system is to fight fraud and that the SASSA is working closely with banks to reconfirm the identity of beneficiaries who changed their phone numbers or those suspected of getting involved in identity fraud.

A people campaign, #PayTheGrants, says it has received several complaints from individuals who says they are unable to complete the biometric verification. Between 7.5 and 8.5 million people benefit from the SRD and beneficiaries are paid an average of 370 Rand (US$20) a month.

According to the SASSA, the process is a one-time activity which begins with a request by the beneficiary to which an SMS with an IDV link is sent to a user. Once the user receives the link, they are required to a take a selfie, send it back to the SASSA and then wait for a notification which will inform them if their biometric verification attempt is successful or not.

Elizabeth Raiters, a representative of #PayTheGrants, says the requirement penalizes those who do not have smartphones or those cut out from internet connectivity.

The SASSA spokesperson is quoted as saying that all beneficiaries who do not re-confirm their identity through the biometric verification process will have their grants suspended.

“The relevant cross-checks have been done with your bank account to verify if it’s you, why do they need to verify your identity again?” Pieters is quoted as asking.

In a recent payments development, South Africa announced some changes to its digital payments ecosystem to as part of a push to increase financial inclusion.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  financial inclusion  |  fraud prevention  |  identity verification  |  selfie biometrics  |  South Africa