SASSA facial recognition software launched to police referred cases

As part of its financial belt-tightening, the South African Social Security Agency has introduced SASSA facial recognition software to police referred cases. With tighter budgets and the ever-worsening cost of living, instances of fraudulent and ill-gotten SASSA grants are only on the rise.

Plus, the agency increased Social Relief of Distress (SRD) by R20 last month (April 2024) to R370 for the first time since its inception in the Covid-19 pandemic. This is disbursed to upwards of 10 million destitute citizens, but it’s understood that that’s only half of the people who actually apply. Therefore, Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu recently gazetted new, stricter laws to help recover irregular payments and tighten exclusions. That’s where SASSA facial recognition software comes in…

SASSA FACIAL RECOGNITION SOFTWARE

According to the agency’s website, “Clients will now be required to perform identification verification through SASSA facial recognition software.” This refers to clients wanting to query or clear a “referred” status, as well as update personal details like a cellphone number.

In theory, there is very good reason for the introduction of SASSA facial recognition software. As all SRD grant applications are done digitally (via computer or cellphone), they are vulnerable to manipulation by fraudsters. Therefore, SASSA facial recognition software is a clever way verify the correct SRD recipient and protect against nefarious acts.

BIOMETRIC VERIFICATION

All other SASSA grants besides SRD require an in-person visit by you or a loved one to complete the application. This provides its own level of verification. However, Democratic Alliance Shadow Minister Bridget Masango found only complaints about SRD grants on her SASSA oversight office inspections last week.  

Talking to people in various SASSA queues, Masango said the most common complaint was SRD grants not being paid even when people were loaded on the system. “There seems to be something done by the staff where they change beneficiaries’ ID/phone numbers. By doing so, the can move grant to themselves and not the rightful recipient. It’s a real mess,” concluded Masango.

SASSA SRD REFERRAL

As mentioned above, SASSA facial recognition software applies to querying a “referred” status. This is when the agency has identified fraudulent activity on your account. This may either be due to your wrongdoing or a third-party tampering with it. If you are not alerted about the referral, you must contact the agency within 90 days to rectify this.

SASSA says clients will receive two SMSes in the case of referral. The second SMS will have a secured link you must click. At the link you will engage with the SASSA facial recognition software for biometric verification. Remember to clean your cellphone’s camera lens, stand in a well-lit area and look directly into the camera with your head up (as pictured above). And make sure you have enough data and cellphone signal to send the image to SASSA.

OTHER SASSA SRD STATUSES

Here’s a reminder of the six other SASSA SRD statuses you may encounter when dealing with monthly Social Relief of Distress grants:

• COMPLETE: This means SASSA has received your application, but it’s not yet approved.
• PENDING: SASSA is in the process of verifying your application. Sit tight.
• APPROVED: Congratulations, SASSA has approved your grant application and will let you know when the next payment is due.
• BANK DETAILS PENDING: Update this urgently if SASSA does not have banking details for you. Submit banking details HERE.
• REAPPLICATION PENDING: The agency has not yet received a reapplication for your R370 Social Relief of Distress Grant. Resubmit urgently HERE.
• DECLINED: You did not meet all the criteria, and the agency has declined your application. If you disagree with the reasons given, you can lodge an appeal with the DSD HERE.

SASSA SRD grants for May 2024 will be available from Saturday, 25 May to Thursday, 30 May.

*The agency warns that SRD grant payouts may take between 2-3 working days to reflect in your bank account.