Hardly a year since the introduction of old age pensions fraudsters are already trying to cash in on the social grant. A number of people have been caught trying to up their ages so as to qualify for the 70 years old limit.

Department of Statistics Field Officer in Mafeteng, Mr. Phakiso Mohlakeng announced on July 12 that some people have been discovered to have added years to their ages so that they qualify for the grants. Some go to the extent of tempering with their passports to insert new dates of birth.

Since June, the Department has discovered two people who had tempered with their birth dates to qualify.

'One of the people born in 1945 changed his birth date to 1943 to qualify,' he said.

The grants were started in November last year.

12 July 2005