Sat May 18 16:56:16 SAST 2013
Sat May 18 16:56:17 SAST 2013

Misuse of social grants is rife

May 25, 2012 | Denise Williams | 32 comments

BENEFICIARIES are misusing social grants by paying for hairdresser appointments and buying beauty products.

 The number of people receiving grants is over 12 million, costing R105-billion for the year 

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Furthermore, some caregivers who no longer have children in their care are still accessing their grants but failing to use the money for the children's benefit.

This is contained in a report on Child Support Grant Evaluation released by Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini in Gugulethu on the Cape Flats this week.

It found examples of misuse of grants, bribery and attempts to mislead or deceive officials in order to get grants.

Other problems included isolated incidents of corruption and bribery by official themselves.

An Eastern Cape-based social development official, who was interviewed, was quoted in the report as saying: "Some security staff demanded bribes for you to get the forms to apply".

Speaking at the launch of the report, SA Social Security Agency head Virginia Petersen said while 10.9 million households were in the grant system, about two million eligible beneficiaries were still to access grants.

Reasons for failure by eligible recipients to access grants included problems in gathering the correct paperwork, such as identity documents and birth certificates, a lack of information on how to apply, late applications and long queues.

Other reasons cited were finding the money to pay for transport to get to the social grant offices and people thinking they did not fit the eligibility criteria despite meeting the requirements.

During the 2010 survey data was collected from interviews conducted with 1700 people who cared for children across five provinces in 2007.

The information from the qualitative study showed that in the Eastern Cape more than 1.5 million people benefited from grants; 935,144 in Gauteng, just under 2 million in KwaZulu-Natal and 1.2 million in Limpopo.

Almost three-quarters (71%) of all grant beneficiaries were resident in these provinces.

Dlamini lauded the improvements made in the grant system but said social grants were not a "silver bullet".

"In order to holistically tackle poverty we must complement the social grants programme with the expansion of early childhood development services, the school nutrition programme, targeted free education and access to comprehensive health services to all children," Dlamini said.

She said since replacing the state maintenance grant, the number of people receiving grants had risen from 70,000 in 1998 to more than 12 million today.

During this financial year the government would spend about R105-billion on grants.

She said some highlights of the effects the study showed that access to grants could break the inter-generational transmission of poverty; that enrolment from birth had a positive effect on the child's early development, their cognitive abilities and health.

Research also found that children's propensity to engage in risky behaviour such as sex at a young age, alcohol and drug use, criminal activity and inductions into gangs, [is less] when grants are used effectively during their upbringing.

Comments

Sat May 18 16:56:17 SAST 2013 ::
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May 25, 2012

Mofida

At some point we will have to realise that Education(Academic) is the only way to get out of poverty and to be independent,otherwise we will always falter,this social grant thing is not going to work in the long run.,
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May 25, 2012

PDreamz

Wont it be better to stop giving this loose jezebels money? I mean Gov. can always but food parcels and other kids necessities instead of giving this useless beings hard cash as they use it selfishly and end up being preg and running to claim for grants
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May 25, 2012

Bombay_Mafia

Why dont they introduce stamps that are redeemable for things such as, electricity, food and have policies that makes it tough for JEZEBELS to misuse this grant.
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May 25, 2012

MsKinkyakaKamaSutra

Scrap the grants and have more Skills Development programmes so that these "breeders" can be equipment and be able to sustain themselves.


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May 25, 2012

sarmologadi

BTW minister for social grants whoever she is, announced yesterday that social grants reduce poverty, reduce teenage PREGNANCY daaah really... she said evry1 needs to be given a grant, IMAGINE, now you ask yourself how is this going to affect us tax payers while these lazy people are sitting at home doing nothing & yet we work hard for them, our goverment, mxmmm. Do they know the meaning of empowerment????...according to me encouraging youth to become more educated is the only way to go, education/knowledge is the power...
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May 25, 2012

Papage

Give them all the grants, and if anybody abuse the system, must be arrested.
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May 25, 2012

sabza007

.........''During this financial year the government would spend about R105-billion on grants''.................

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Majority of the kids receiving this grant have their biological fathers, some are even working. As a security system, these women must bring proof that their kids fathers are dead,unemployed or are very low income workers.

Another factor is that the laws of this country allow a foreigner child who is born in South Africa to be entitled to all benefits as per South African child.S people come in this country pregnant on purpose so that they can receive this grant.
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May 25, 2012

7000000

@DENISE WILLIAMS
A very good story for moral degeneration of our Youth!!

''Research also found that children's propensity to engage in risky behaviour such as sex at a young age, alcohol and drug use, criminal activity and inductions into gangs, [is less] when grants are used effectively during their upbringing''. (Yes they do help big time)
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I agree totally with the research it is spot on. And some young girls are voluntarily getting pregnant just to get a social grant in sacrifice of their quality education that can bring them millions how foolish is that, well done Mr DENISE WILLIAMS a very good job well done!
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May 25, 2012

MsKinkyakaKamaSutra

.........breeders can be equiped....


eish Friday blues
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May 25, 2012

Papadi

Bathabile is one incompetent minister, how does she say grants reduce poverty and teen pregnancy while it is the main contributor?A mother gets grants for 5kids all under 18yrs, 2 daughters fall pregnant at 15 and 18, they leave home (run to social workers claiming to be abused or not having shelter) to get their own RDP houses, later they get pregnant to get more grants,they leave school without matric, who's going to employ them if people with degrees are still strugling to get jobs?.How is she(government) going to solve this one?For as long as people are getting grants corruption will not stop even if you can give them coupons they will sell them for cash and there's always a buyer.Money or not..they started something they will not finish.
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