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SOUTH AFRICA
Care Dependency Grant
Programme
Care Dependency Grant
Country
South Africa
Geographic area
Sub-Saharan Africa
Previous programme name (if any)
Start date
This grant is regulated by the legal framework
established by the Social Assistance Act of 2004. 1
Programme objectives
To provide care to children who have physical or
mental disabilities and are in need of permanent care. 2
Programme type
Unconditional cash transfer
Programme components
Conditionalities (if any)
Targeting methods
Categorical targeting and means-testing.
Target areas
Nationwide
Target groups Children with disabilities 2
Eligibility criteria
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.
Eligibility reassessment (if any) The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) is responsible
for reviewing grants based on the declared income of beneficiaries
at the time of application. 2
Type of benefits Cash 2
Amount of benefits
ZAR1,420
Payment/delivery frequency Monthly 2
Benefit delivery mechanism 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beneficiaries’ bank accounts, which can be withdrawn at designated pay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). 2
Benefit recipients
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. 2
Minimum and maximum
duration of benefits (if any)
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 The grant is also rescinded if the child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.
Coverage 140,645 beneficiaries (2015)
Programme expenditure ZAR2.46 billion estimated expenditure (2015/16)
Institutions and agencies involved SASSA
Monitoring and evaluation
mechanisms and frequency
See the references on page 191: Care Dependency Grant
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. 2,3
128 | Social Protection in Africa: inventory of non-contributory programmes