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The DA notes reports that beneficiaries of South African Social Security Agency’s (SASSA) R370 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grants are struggling to verify their identities with SASSA’s new biometric identification system.

The new system requires beneficiaries who have been identified by SASSA for identity verification or those that need to change their contact details to be supplied with a verification link from the Department of Home Affairs via SMS in order to submit a photo of their face. There are however numerous beneficiaries who have not received this link due systems allegedly being down at Home Affairs at the time of verification.

While the DA commends SASSA’s initiative in combating fraud with its new biometric system, the Agency needs to urgently implement contingencies to help beneficiaries unable to access and use the system – vulnerable beneficiaries cannot be allowed to suffer due to ineffective systems.

The DA will ensure that SASSA accounts to Parliament on the challenges of the new biometric verification system, as well as the procedures that have been put in place to ensure that all beneficiaries are assisted.

We will also engage with the Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, to ensure that the required verification links from his Department is sent without fail.

Issued by Bridget Masango MP - DA Spokesperson on Social Development