Covid-19 Increase in Child Grants
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s massive R500 billion relief package includes a R50 billion boost for people receiving grants as well as the introduction of a Social Relief of Distress grant of R350/m for those who are unemployed and who do not receive any form of grants or UIF payments.
CHILD GRANTS
When expanding on the grant top-ups, the President said in his speech: “This means that child support grant beneficiaries will receive an extra R300 in May and from June to October they will receive an additional R500 each month. All other grant beneficiaries will receive an extra R250 per month for the next six months.”
From this, many assumed that it would mean that each child would receive R300 on top of the normal R440 for May and then R500 on top of the R440 for each child from June to October. This is not the case. SASSA has subsequently clarified this and explained that the R300 in May is per child, but the additional R500 from June is not per child, but rather per caregiver, regardless of the number of children.
Eg: If you are receiving grants for 2 children it will work like this:
Month 1 ONLY (May) R440 +R300 = R740 per child
R740 x 2 = R1480 is what you will get.
Months 2-6 R440+ R440 = R880
(June to October) plus (ONE) R500 = R1380 is what you will get.
So from June – you will get R500 per month extra whether you are receiving grants for one child or five children.
All other grants, including grants for older persons (including the war veterans), persons with disabilities, foster child grants and care dependency grants will increase by R250 per month for a 6 month period from May 2020 to October 2020.
