SASSA Social Grant to be Increased R720
The Department of Social Development has recently adopted measures that seek to improve the disbursement process for certain Sassa Social grants, particularly those that will benefit the youth. Here is what the Minister of Social Development had to say about the Department’s plan.
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) administers the Child Support Grant (CSG), which is a social grant for low-income families to help with the costs of their child’s essential requirements. Anyone under the age of 18 is considered a “child” in this circumstance.
In an effort to benefit this cohort of grant recipients, the Department of Social Development has recently implemented measures that will further increase the amount that is usually paid out for this grant.
Thus all qualifying children will now receive their baseline Child Support Grant (CSG) of R480 plus an additional R240 (50% of the basic CSG), for a total of R720.
The Department went on to say that this provision is a vital part of the total legal solution to the foster care problem since it will allow relatives caring for orphans to acquire a social grant swiftly by going directly to Sassa instead of requiring a social worker’s investigation, report, and a court order.
The department has done this by gazetting the proclamation of the Social Assistance Amendment Act on Sunday 30 May 2022. They added that this policy intervention enables both the Minister of Social Development in consultation with the Finance Minister, to make provisions for a 50% increase in the child support grant for orphans in the care of relatives who are CSG qualified.
With little over 13 million children, the Social assistance is one of the country’s largest child protection programmes to benefit orphans and vulnerable children, according to a statement issued on Wednesday. The Social Assistance Amendment Act aims to provide extra payments tied to social grants, such as the implementation of the expanded Child Support Grant (CSG) policy for orphans in relatives’ care (CSG Top-Up)
This comes as the country marks Child Protection Week, which began on Sunday 29 May 2022 in Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape, and ends on Sunday 5 June 2022 in KwaZulu-Natal. The celebration aimed to raise awareness about the high rates of teen pregnancy, abuse, and exploitation, with a focus on teen pregnancy reduction and prevention through preventative and early intervention programmes.
In addition to this, the campaign improves relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including parents, families, and communities. During Child Protection Week, the Department promotes children’s rights, well-being, and protection while highlighting service offers.