Elderly Stroke Patient Unable to Access Social Grant Due to Biometric Verification – Urgent Intervention Needed

I am writing out of deep distress regarding my mother’s inability to access her social grant because the bank is holding her funds pending biometric verification.

My mother is elderly and suffered a stroke. As a result, her fingerprints are no longer detectable, and her facial structure has changed, making facial recognition and selfie verification impossible.

She went to the verification kiosk, but staff were unable to assist because the system could not read her fingerprints. There appears to be no alternative verification process for vulnerable clients like her.

This is a social grant – money intended for survival. Because her account is frozen:

She cannot buy adult nappies.

She cannot pay her caregiver.

Her wheelchair is broken and she cannot physically return to the kiosk.

The stress of this situation has triggered seizures and severely impacted her health.

Biometric systems may improve security, but banking cannot be one-size-fits-all. There must be alternative verification options for elderly or medically compromised clients.

We urgently request:

Immediate release of her social grant funds.

An alternative, human-assisted verification process (branch verification, affidavit, home visit, medical documentation, or power of attorney option).

A review of policies affecting elderly and disabled grant recipients.

This situation is not just administrative inconvenience — it is affecting a sick, elderly woman’s ability to survive.

We are asking for urgent compassion and intervention. I was helped by an agent called Mbali and said feedback would come on the 11th and nothing came.