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Some governments around the world, including those of Brazil, India, South Africa, and the Philippines, are taking different steps at the moment aimed at implementing stricter digital identity issuance and verification for their social protection programs. These measures, they say, are intended to not only curb fraud, but also to facilitate access to grants by beneficiaries especially the elderly and those with physical infirmities.
Brazil, South African to tighten ID verification rules
A recent probe into South Africa’s Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant program reveals several system vulnerabilities allowing fraudsters to steal benefits destined for genuine beneficiaries.
Many of the weaknesses have to do with identity verification, prompting the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) to strengthen its ID verification apparatus, ITWeb reports.
The recent probe, the results of which were explained to members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Social Development, found problems with the OTP login system for the grant, the possibility of different users signing in with one phone number, as well as other forms of fraud related to mobile money services linked to the grant payment.
Among the recommendations, SASSA has been told to implement a multi-factor biometric authentication system. The agency says it is also working to reduce the number of permitted grant registrants per phone numbers.
In the past months, there have been concerns about the SRD grant program, with many users complaining of difficulties in accessing the system after SASSA introduced a biometric verification requirement.
In Brazil, the increasing cost of the Continuous Cash Benefit program (BPC) is forcing the government to rethink how the grant initiative should be managed. This is because the cost is said to be already exceeding the set fiscal limits.
As Valor reports, Brazilian authorities want to manage the increasing pressure and financial cost by taking measures to fight against fraud and ensure strict adherence to rules.
One of the measures on the table, as part of regulatory reforms being proposed, is the introduction of a compulsory biometric verification system, per an unnamed source.
Biometric identification for the grant program was included last year as part of actions to combat fraud, Valor quotes Social Development Minister, Wellington Dias, as saying.
The BPC is a Brazilian government funding program to assist poor elderly people and those with living with disabilities.
Many Indians suffer exclusion from digitized social grants system
India’s Karnataka State may have had good intensions to digitize its Public Distribution System (PDS), but the move is said to have excluded many beneficiaries who suffer biometric verification failures as fingerprint scanning is the main verification method.
Deccan Gerald reports that after the introduction of the system to streamline the payment of benefits and reduce corruption, those who have defective fingerprints due to accidents or aging, face struggles accessing their grants.
Given these difficulties, there have been calls for alternative IDV methods to ensure inclusion.
Philippines seeks unified digital ID system for PWDs
As part of efforts to fight the illegal issuance of national ID cards and facilitate the delivery of services to physically challenged persons (PWDs), there are plans for trailing a unified identification system for this category of citizens in the Philippines.
The trail, announced in January, is scheduled to run till June and is overseen by Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), and local government bodies.
The move is a recommendation that comes in the wake of increased fraud in PWD ID issuance and use. The unified PWD ID will be issued in physical and digital versions built with a biometric chip, and can be used on a mobile app or web portal.
The suggestion has already earned the support of the United Senior Citizens Partylist – a political organization advocating for the rights of the elderly. The outfit thinks that the initiative will effectively fight ID fraud among PWDs.
A Congresswoman, Mila Magsaysay, is quoted as saying that the unified ID will enable PWDs effectively earn the 20 percent discount they are entitled to for select services and purchases from government and private entities.
Some governments around the world, including those of Brazil, India, South Africa, and the Philippines, are taking different steps at the moment aimed at implementing stricter digital identity issuance and verification for their social protection programs. These measures, they say, are intended to not only curb fraud, but also to facilitate access to grants by beneficiaries especially the elderly and those with physical infirmities.
Some governments around the world, including those of Brazil, India, South Africa, and the Philippines, are taking different steps at the moment aimed at implementing stricter digital identity issuance and verification for their social protection programs. These measures, they say, are intended to not only curb fraud, but also to facilitate access to grants by beneficiaries especially the elderly and those with physical infirmities.