The government aims to create a better life for children living in poverty by increasing the amount of the child support grant for orphans, Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu said on Monday.
Zulu said her department is encouraging the relatives who are caring for orphaned children to apply for the child support grant top-up at their nearest South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) offices, noting that the additional R240 to the standard R480 is enabled by a 2015 cabinet-approved policy.
“The provisions of this policy enable me as the minister of social development to introduce the higher-value child support grant top-up for orphans. As a result, on 01 June 2022, and with the concurrence of the minister of finance, I introduced the child support grant top-up,” said Zulu.
She said it is important for citizens to know that the child support grant top-up is not a new grant.
“No social worker’s report or court order is needed to access the top-up. This is designed to improve the accessibility of the CSG [child support grant] programme to, as best as possible, meet the basic needs of orphans.
“South Africans should keep in mind that the only caregiver who needs to see a social worker before they can approach Sassa are children under 18 years who are looking after their orphaned siblings in child-headed households.”
The minister said the only additional proof required from the caregiving relatives is that the child is an orphan.
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