Care Dependency Grant

2004

140,645 beneficiaries (2015)

ZAR2.46 billion estimated expenditure (2015/16)

Nationwide

Children with disabilities

The beneficiary must be a child (under age 18), who is resident in South Africa and has a severe physical or mental disability and needs constant care, requires and receives permanent care or support services (as assessed by a medical officer) and who is not cared for by a state institution. The recipient of the benefit is the parent, primary caregiver or foster parent (he/she is a South African citizen, permanent resident or a refugee) of the child, who must also reside in South Africa and not earn more than ZAR170,400 a year (ZAR14,200 per month), if single, or ZAR340,800 a year (ZAR28,400per month), if married. This income limit does not apply to foster parents.

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) is responsible for reviewing grants based on the declared income of beneficiaries at the time of application.

Cash

ZAR1,420

Monthly

SASSA, using a privatised payment contractor, pays the grant into the beneficiaries’ bank accounts, which can be withdrawn at designated pay points, contracted merchant stores, automatic teller machines (ATMs) or via an institution acting as administrator of the grant (e.g. welfare organisations).

Parents, foster parents or primary caregivers of the child If the recipient is unable to collect the benefit, a proxy may be appointed at the SASSA office.

The grant lasts until the child turns 18. The grant is also rescinded if the child passes away, or is admitted to a state institution, or is absent from the country. If the recipient of the benefit does not claim the grant for three consecutive months it will lapse.

SASSA administers the grant. Its monitoring and evaluation branch produces monthly statistical reports of all its social grants, indicating the number of beneficiaries per region.