Too young for pension`

Source: Chevon Booysen - News24, 14/07/2015

A 62-year-old woman is at wit`s end after nearly three years of
struggling to get a new identification document and her pension payout.
From her shack dwelling in Uitkykbos informal settlement, the
demotivated woman says she does not know what to do anymore. She found
out she was registered as ten years younger than her actual age on the
home affairs system and because of this she doesn`t qualify for pension.
Lea Sampson says she has been struggling to obtain a new ID for the
past two and a half years after her old one was stolen.
Sampson says it has been an uphill battle to get a new ID issued. She
even approached a community worker to help her.
"It has been difficult because we make frequent trips to the home
affairs offices in Wynberg but we never came right. I just need this
sorted because it has caused me so much stress," Sampson laments.
She says she has been struggling to get her ID details up to date as
this is the only thing standing in the way of getting her pension.
Tanya Meyer, who has helped Sampson, says they were "given the run
around for a long time".
"I have been trying to get Sampson the help she needs by accompanying
her to the home affairs offices. When we got there the first time they
told us they could not find her on the system," Meyer says.
She says visits to home affairs after that proved even less fruitful
as they have not made headway in nearly three years.
"It cannot go on like this. This woman is a pensioner and she is
struggling at the moment to make ends meet," Meyer says.
"We had to get an affidavit stating that her ID was stolen and at the
Wynberg offices Sampson had to be sworn in by me to confirm she is a
citizen," Meyer says.
After this was done, Meyer says Sampson was "eventually" found on the
system. "But then we sat with a bigger problem. We then found out she
was registered as 52 years old instead of 62. Trying to rectify this
has been a headache on its own," Meyer says.
Sampson adds the ordeal has caused her discomfort in her community as
well.
"When the people are drunk here in the settlement they say things like
I don`t even have an ID and I do not exist in this country. It`s
traumatising and hurts me," Sampson says.
According to Meyer and Sampson they were subsequently referred by home
affairs to a doctor so her age may be "predicted".
"We went to the doctor and were told they cannot predict the age.
Every time it seems we have made progress, we move back," she says.
Wynberg home affairs department spokesperson Nazeem Andrews says
Sampson has to apply to have her details corrected.
"If no application was done then that will be the first step. To apply
to have the date amended [will cost] R70 with a waiting period of
about 6 months and longer. Then after the amendment we can look at a
temporary ID and ID card," Andrews says.
He adds that citizens are sometimes referred to a doctor to have an
age assessment done if they do not have proof of birth in the form of
a birth certificate or baptismal certificate.
"If she has an ID with a certain date and she feels it`s wrong then
she needs to prove to the department which is the correct date with
proof in form of documentation."
Andrews advised Sampson to visit her nearest home affairs offices for
more information and to get application forms for the rectification.