SASSA is making changes to stop people from cheating the grant system.
Starting September 1 they will scan faces or fingerprints of people who apply for grants. This new rule is for new applicants & people who need to update their information.
Brenton van Vrede from SASSA explains that they won’t need everyone to come in at once. Only new applicants & people making changes will need to do the scan. He says it will take a few years to get everyone’s information in the system. The main focus right now is on new applications. The agency wants to make sure only real people get grants. This new system will help them check if someone is who they say they are. It’s a step toward making the grant system more secure.
SASSA has been testing the new system since April. The agency feels ready to launch it across the country.
Current benefit recipients won’t need to sign up right away. Each year about 1.8 million new people apply for benefits. This means the system will grow slowly over time. The agency has backup plans ready if something goes wrong.
They can switch back to paper forms if the computers fail. Van Vrede from SASSA said they can still help people even if problems happen. He hopes they won’t need these backup plans but they’re ready just in case.
