The South African Social Security Agency has defended intensified grant reviews and proof-of-life checks, saying the measures are intended to confirm eligibility and prevent fraudulent payments. Its clarification also identifies Beneficiary Biometric Enrolment as part of efforts to strengthen identity verification and transaction security.
SASSA issued the statement after reports about payments to people allegedly ineligible for grants during the 2025/2026 financial year. It also acknowledged concerns raised before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Social Development earlier this week and welcomed scrutiny of public-fund administration.
The agency says its eLife certification process establishes whether beneficiaries are still alive and are the legitimate recipients of social assistance. The checks are intended to stop payments after a beneficiary’s death, resolve uncertainty about their continued existence and prevent another person from unlawfully accessing a grant.
Beneficiary Biometric Enrolment is a separate intervention within the wider control program. SASSA says it would strengthen identity verification, reduce opportunities for impersonation and improve the security of grant transactions. The agency presents these measures as ways to ensure payments reach their rightful recipients.
The verification effort has drawn criticism from groups concerned that legitimate beneficiaries could be excluded. SASSA rejects the characterization that reviews and eLife checks are designed to arbitrarily terminate grants, saying their purpose is to confirm continued eligibility and existence.
Grant recipients must notify the agency of changes that may affect qualification, including income, employment, marital status, banking details and residential circumstances. SASSA says reviews provide a mechanism for checking those changes rather than relying indefinitely on information collected at an earlier point.
The agency describes social assistance as a constitutional obligation and a critical safety net for vulnerable South Africans. It argues that protecting that system also requires controls against errors, abuse, misrepresentation and payments to people who no longer meet the applicable requirements.
The clarification addresses both the identity of the person receiving a payment and whether that person continues to qualify. Proof-of-life certification checks continued existence, biometric enrolment supports identity assurance, and eligibility reviews examine changes in a beneficiary’s circumstances.
SASSA says its controls must evolve as identities, payment arrangements and personal circumstances change. It maintains that qualified beneficiaries should not fear verification intended to establish continued eligibility, while continuing to defend reviews as a necessary part of administering the grant system.
Sources: SAnews
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
