Question NW1495 to the Minister of Social Development

Reply:

a) Exact Criteria for each grant type listed below AND (b) who (i) qualifies AND (ii) who does not qualify for a pension payout.

• Criteria for Older Persons Grant:

Men and women aged 60 years or older

South African citizens, refugees or permanent residents

Must reside in South Africa (only exception to this are those SA citizens who reside in Walvis Bay)

Together with spouse, must comply with the means test

Cannot be in an institution funded by State

Since 2011, all older persons above the age of 75 receive an additional amount of R20 in addition to the grant

(b)

1. Anybody meeting the above criteria qualifies
2. Anybody who does not meet the above criteria does not qualify

• Criteria for War Veterans’ Grant:

South African citizen or permanent resident (not refugees)

Must live in South Africa

60 years and is unable to provide for maintenance due to a disability AND served in one of the four wars listed (in reality only those who served in the Second World War or Korean War are still alive)

Includes a supplement over and above the regular disability or old age grant (R20)

Must comply with means test

Cannot be in institution funded by the State

(b)

1. Anybody meeting the above criteria qualifies
2. Anybody who does not meet the above criteria does not qualify

• Criteria for Grant In Aid:

Supplement for people who have a disability or are so frail that they require regular attendance by another person

Requirement is that the applicant must already be in receipt of a grant for older persons, war veterans or disability grant

Beneficiary cannot reside in subsidised institution

(b)

1. Anybody meeting the above criteria qualifies
2. Anybody who does not meet the above criteria does not qualify

• Criteria for a Child Support Grant:

Primary care giver must be South African citizen, refugee or permanent resident (citizenship of child not an issue)

Primary care giver and child must live in South Africa

Paid to primary caregiver of the child (the care giver must be over the age of 16 and doesn’t have to be related)

Primary care giver and spouse must comply in terms of means test

Confirmation of school attendance or enrolment to be provided on application (but this is a soft condition). Failure to provide this does not result in no grant

Primary care giver limited to a maximum of 6 non-biological children

Primary care giver cannot be formally or informally employed to care for the child

Child cannot be resident in an institution funded by the State

(b)

1. Anybody meeting the above criteria qualifies
2. Anybody who does not meet the above criteria does not qualify

• Criteria for a Foster Child Grant:

Foster parent must be South African citizen, permanent resident of refugee (citizenship of child not an issue)

Both foster parent and child must live in South Africa

Court order places child in the care of someone else (foster parent includes a person, other than the biological parent of the child, in whose custody a child has been placed)

Magistrate’s court and social workers play a role in deciding who should care for the child

Grant only valid for the period of the court order

Social worker to review the situation before extension of court order

Foster child grants are not means tested at all

(b)

1. Anybody meeting the above criteria qualifies
2. Anybody who does not meet the above criteria does not qualify

• Criteria for a Disability Grant:

South African citizen or permanent resident (not refugees)

Must live in South Africa

18 years or older until age 60 when DG changes to an old age grant

Due to physical or mental disability unable to work & maintain themselves

Medical assessment by SASSA appointed medical doctor & a medical assessment report containing the certification of the degree of disability or not of the applicant

Grant is means tested (income of applicant and spouse)

DG can either be given as permanent (longer than 12 months) or temporary (6 – 12 months)

(b)

1. Anybody meeting the above criteria qualifies
2. Anybody who does not meet the above criteria does not qualify

• Criteria for a Care Dependency Grant:

Primary care giver must be South African citizen, permanent resident or refugee (citizenship of child not an issue)

Primary care giver and child must live in South Africa

Paid to primary care giver of a child who is severely disabled (and is under 18 years – after age 18 the person then qualifies for a disability grant)

Care giver must be the parent, the primary care giver or the foster parent of the child

Child severely mentally or physically disabled

Grant to offset care-giver being unable to work full-time and higher expenses

If child looked after on a full-time basis for more than 6 months in a government-funded institution, then the parent is not eligible to receive this grant

Grant is means tested

Where a care dependent child is fostered, foster parent can receive both grants – neither grant is means tested

(b)

1. Anybody meeting the above criteria qualifies
2. Anybody who does not meet the above criteria does not qualify

• Criteria for Social Relief of Distress:

SRD is a short term relief for addressing crisis situations

Paid to South African citizens, permanent residents or refugees who have insufficient means and meet one or more of the following criteria:

Awaiting payment of an approved grant

Medically unfit for period of less than 6 months

Does not receive maintenance from a person legally obliged to pay such

Breadwinner has died and there is no other means of survival (application to be made within 3 months of death)

Breadwinner admitted to an institution funded by State

Person is affected by a disaster

Refusal will cause undue hardship

Only time a person receiving a grant can also receive social relief of distress is as response to disaster (no repayment)

Amendments allow payment of SRD to care giver even where child receives another social grant (CDG, FCG or CSG)

(b)

1. Anybody meeting the above criteria qualifies
2. Anybody who does not meet the above criteria does not qualify

________________________

Approved by the Minister on

Date……………………….