For many of us, proving who we are is easy. We pull out an ID from our wallets, show a passport, and move on. It gives us access to banking, school, healthcare, and public services without much thought. But more than a billion people don’t have that option. Without formal ID, they’re shut out of systems that could help them move forward.

Why Some People Lack Official Identification 

There isn’t one single reason. Identification is more than a piece of paper—it depends on systems of trust, record-keeping, and stable public institutions. And in many places, those systems are weak or uneven.

Some people were never issued birth certificates. In other areas, national IDs exist, but the process can be too expensive, too far away, or too bureaucratic to navigate. Documents are often lost during conflict or natural disasters. And social norms can also play a part—women, for example, are disproportionately under-documented in many countries.

What feels like a basic necessity for many of us can be completely out of reach for others. In Africa alone, around 500 million people still live without any formal identification.

It’s such a fundamental issue that the United Nations made it part of the Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 16.9 calls for providing legal identity for all, including birth registration, by 2030. This falls under goal 16 which aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

Trust and Technology 

Digital solutions are often presented as a clean answer: Biometrics, digital IDs, mobile wallets—they all exist and can help in the right circumstances. But they rely on things many communities don’t always have: steady electricity, reliable internet, secure data storage, and trust that personal information won’t be misused.

And trust is a real concern. In places with political instability or weak protections, people may avoid registering or sharing information because it could later be used against them. So even when the technology works, it doesn’t automatically solve the problem.

The Problem of Exclusion

When people most in need are the least likely to have an ID, any system built around formal identification has a built-in flaw. Identification rules are often created to reduce fraud, but they can end up shutting out exactly the people who need support most.

Here’s the real issue:

Aid organizations must verify identities, but requiring formal ID creates a filter. Only those with documents pass through. Everyone else—often the poorest, or those displaced by crises— can get left out. So the system, meant to create fairness, can reinforce inequality instead.

The challenge is finding a way to stay accountable without leaving people behind.

Social Income’s Community-Based Solution

At Social Income, we take this challenge seriously. Formal documentation is   helpful, but many people simply don’t have any. So we use a community-based approach that relies on local knowledge, transparency, and shared responsibility—including a level of group oversight that keeps the process fair.

We work closely with trusted local NGOs and community groups. They know the realities on the ground and help identify people who need support. Village elders, community representatives, and other trusted figures also play an important role. They help verify who selected recipients are. Their understanding of the community fills the gaps that formal paperwork can’t.

After we select recipients, our field workers onboard each person individually. They check details, explain how the program works, and stay in touch over the course of the program. This ongoing contact helps keep the process accountable and builds trust with recipients.

Moving Forward—Without Leaving Anyone Behind

As we learn how to make cash transfers more inclusive, we keep seeing the same issue:  People get left out when ID rules become too hard to meet. So we try to notice where that happens and adjust our approach so fewer people slip through the cracks.

We’re not saying people shouldn’t rely on formal IDs when they’re available. We have learned from working on the ground  that IDs aren’t always there, and alternatives and adaptability are necessary when they’re not. Because without this adaptability, the people who need support most are the ones left behind.