{
  "id": 6886910,
  "title": "Pensioner’s grant halted after alleged duplicate ID",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/pensioners-grant-halted-after-alleged-duplicate-id",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-12T08:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/weekend-argus/news/2026-09-12-pensioners-grant-halted-after-alleged-duplicate-id/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Shiree Cupido, a 63-year-old former cancer patient in Hillview, Lavender Hill, Cape Town, has been struggling with her Older Persons Grant being repeatedly halted due to an alleged duplicate identity number. Cupido suspects the duplication may be due to fraud, as a woman in Benoni using the same number is receiving her pension. This is part of a wider national issue, with Home Affairs investigating duplicate ID numbers on the National Population Register and working to resolve affected cases. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber stated that while no exact number of duplicates exist, efforts are underway to address the problem through new verification functions. However, Cupido and her husband Kevin, 66, have faced numerous setbacks over the past three years. Their grant was stopped in 2022 after Cupido applied for it shortly after her 60th cancer operation on her birthday. Despite providing fingerprints and a smart ID in 2023 and 2024, the issue persisted, forcing the couple to rely on Kevin's meager earnings and take out loans. Cupido's grant was briefly reinstated in March 2023 after the couple provided a new set of fingerprints and a smart ID. However, it was halted again in 2024, and they are now facing the possibility of losing it permanently. Sassa's director of marketing and communications, Shivani Wahab, acknowledged the financial hardship and stated that such cases will be investigated for fraud or identity theft, with the matter referred to law-enforcement authorities if necessary.",
  "summary": "A 63-year-old Cape Town woman says an alleged duplicate identity number has left her without an older persons grant, forcing her and her husband to borrow money for food, electricity and medical expenses.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}