SASSA Child Grant Increase 2023 [Latest News]
The child support grant provided by SASSA is aimed at lower-income households to assist parents with the costs of their child’s basic needs. The grant isn’t meant to replace other income but to bridge the cost of living gap.
With the current inflation rise, raising a child has become challenging. The grant SASSA provided was insufficient to cope with the sudden boom in inflation. Beneficiaries would be happy to know that there has been a SASSA Child grant increase.
The Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana presented the 2023 National Budget in Cape Town on Wednesday. He had announced that social grants would increase by at least 5% in the next financial year.
Current grant amount
The amount varies each year according to the budget for social services grants. The child support grant is currently R510 per month per child after an increase of R10.
Minister Godongwana said,
“ The government will spend more on grants due to the increasing number of grant beneficiaries in South Africa.”
Recent SASSA Child Grant Increase
On October 01, 2023, the following increases became effective
- SASSA Child Support Grant will increase to R510 with a rise of R10.
- Foster Child Grant from SASSA will go up to R1130, by the rise of R10.
- There is an increase of R10 to SASSA grants for Child Care Dependency. The amount is now R2090.
- Only the Child Support Grant Top-Up has remained unchanged at R250.
Increase in other Social Grants
On October 01, 2023, the following increases would be implemented.
Older persons grant:
The Older Persons Grant (old age pension) will increase to:
- R2090 for recipients between 60 and 74 years old (an increase of R10 from the previous amount of R2080).
- R2110 for recipients over 75 years old (an increase of R10 from the previous amount of R2100).
Disability grant:
- The Disability Grant will increase to R2090 (an increase of R10 from the previous amount of R2080).
Care Dependency grant:
- The Care Dependency Grant will increase to R2090 (an increase of R10 from the previous amount of R2080).
War Veterans grant:
- The War Veterans Grant will increase to R2110 (an increase of R10 from the previous amount of R2100).
Grant–In-Aid:
- The Grant-In-Aid will increase to R510 (an increase of R10 from the previous amount of R500).
Will the SASSA grant increase in the future?
Yes, an increase is expected in social grant amounts in upcoming years. According to government estimates, grant beneficiaries will increase from 18.6 million (March 2023) to 19.6 million (March 2026). Over R10 billion will be spent on grants in 2025 to accomplish this.
Over the next three years, the government anticipates that childcare grants and older persons grants will receive the majority of government spending. Over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), Social Development will receive around R1.1 Trillion.
As a result of this grant, social grants will be paid, welfare services will be provided, and advocacy for women, youth, and people with disabilities will be strengthened.
SASSA Child Grant Increase News
Ms Sibusisiwe Sibeko, Financial Analyst for Parliament Budget Office, tweeted on October 06, 2023
“Grants play a critical economic role in our society.”
The official SASSA Twitter account posted on 13 October 2023
“The Child Support Grant has successfully reached 13 million children to R510 a month per child. Currently, only 95% of beneficiaries have received their grants.”
Conclusion
In keeping with the finance minister’s budget speech, social grant amounts have been increased. The first phase was implemented in April, while the second was realized in October. Beneficiaries can now avail themselves of the increased amounts from ATMs or other social centers.
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