THE South African Social Security Agency in Limpopo experienced an increase in applications for grants among destitute teenagers in January.
This is after the department of social development extended the age qualification for the monthly child support grants to 15.
During the previous financial year the national department of social development is said to have spent more than R22,3million on the monthly grants of R240.
The agency's Limpopo spokesperson Kelemogile Moseki said adults could access the grants on behalf of the children for as long as they were the primary caregivers of one or more children.
Moseki said most candidates who have been coming in large numbers to apply for grants were not related to the children.
"If the child's parents have died or disappeared, you will be required to supply this information on the application form and provide proof of a death certificate or a disappearance report from the police," he said.
Moseki said though there could be a possible backlog in issuing the grants, there was no need to panic as they had opted to pay the beneficiaries electronically at banks, post offices and at mini ATMs in township and rural areas.
Child grant requests growing
THE South African Social Security Agency in Limpopo experienced an increase in applications for grants among destitute teenagers in January.
This is after the department of social development extended the age qualification for the monthly child support grants to 15.
During the previous financial year the national department of social development is said to have spent more than R22,3million on the monthly grants of R240.
The agency's Limpopo spokesperson Kelemogile Moseki said adults could access the grants on behalf of the children for as long as they were the primary caregivers of one or more children.
Moseki said most candidates who have been coming in large numbers to apply for grants were not related to the children.
"If the child's parents have died or disappeared, you will be required to supply this information on the application form and provide proof of a death certificate or a disappearance report from the police," he said.
Moseki said though there could be a possible backlog in issuing the grants, there was no need to panic as they had opted to pay the beneficiaries electronically at banks, post offices and at mini ATMs in township and rural areas.