As the country commemorates Child Protection Week, the Department of Social Development has improved the social assistance programme to benefit orphans and vulnerable children.
The department said the Social Amendment Act seeks to make provision for additional payments linked to social grants, including the implementation of the extended child support grant for orphans in the care of relatives.
“These children will receive their basic child support grant, which is R480, with an additional amount of R250. This will bring the total amount to R720,” it said in a statement on Wednesday.
It added that orphaned children living in poor families and children living in child-headed households, who are not adequately supported financially, warranted a policy intervention for additional income support.
“This policy intervention empowers the minister of social development, in concurrence with the minister of finance to make provision for a top-up of 50% more on the child support grant for orphans.
“The child support grant top-up alleviates the burden on social workers contending with high foster care caseloads by reducing the number of new applications and two-yearly extensions.
“This will free them up to provide responsive child protection and care services to all children in need of care and protection. This is not a new grant, but rather builds on the existing CSG [child support grant] system in the form of a ‘top-up’ amount.”
Eligible caregivers can apply for the grant top-up at the local offices of Sassa (SA Social Security Agency) and online from June 1, which is also International Children’s Day.
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