Finance Minister announces 2022 social grant increases
New grant for orphans announced in budget. Nearly one in two South Africans now receives a grant
Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana announced changes to social grants in Wednesday’s budget. Archive photo: Ashraf Hendricks
Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana has announced increases to social grants which do not keep pace with inflation.
Godongwana said the funds allocated —- R58.6 billion in the medium term —- would “provide for inflationary increases” to permanent grants. But none of the grants will rise as much as the current inflation rate of 5.7% a year. And the Foster Care grant is going up by less than 2%.
Changes to grants this year:
- The Care Dependency Grant will increase from R1,890 to R1,980 (in April) and then R1,990 (in October) (a 5.3% increase)
- The Disability Grant will increase from R1,890 to R1,980 (in April) and then R1,990 (in October) (a 5.3% increase)
- The War Veterans Grant will increase from R1,910 to R2,000 (in April) and then R2,010 (in October) (a 5.2% increase)
- The Old Age Grant will increase from R1,890 to R1,980 (in April) and then R1,990 (in October) (a 5.3% increase. And for people older than 75 years the grant will increase from R1,910 to R2,000 (in April) and then R2,010 (in October) (a 5.2% increase)
- The Foster Care grant will increase from R1,050 to R1,070 (a 1.9% increase)
- The Child Support Grant will increase from R460 to R480 (a 4.3% increase)
Godongwana also announced a new social grant, the Extended Child Support Grant, for double orphans, “to encourage the care of orphans within families rather than foster care”.
And he confirmed that the R350 Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant will be extended for another 12 months. This will cost R44 billion.
The Old Age, War Veterans, Disability, and Care Dependence grants will increase by R90 in April and a further R10 in October. The Foster Care and Child Support grants will increase once-off by R20 in April.
Nearly one in two South Africans (46%) now receive social grants, Godongwana said.
Letters
Dear Editor
I would like to make a plea for SASSA grant recipients. With the rising cost of petrol/diesel and food prices, how are the recipients of the SASSA grants supposed to make a living? The minimum salary for any worker is R3,500-R4,000 and the people cannot cope with that little money. How are the recipients of SASSA grants supposed to live?
Dear Editor
I feel that is so bad for child grant money to be going up by R20 – very sad considering the price of life.
Fish oil is R10 already, bread is R16.50, petrol prices are spiking but salaries stay the same. How unfair is it to children – just getting an extra R20 when everything is getting so expensive, especially for families that only get R460 a month.
Dear Editor
Why can't the government just increase the SASSA payment amount of the Old Age grant to at least R2,200 per month? They are senior citizens of this country and I really think they need to be treated with respect and should be appreciated more. Food, electricity, everything is going up and these poor people have to live with that amount and they are all stressed and waiting for the grant to come each month. Please change the Old Age grant payment dates to the 1st of each month again.
Dear Editor
Pensions for the elderly should be at least R3,000 a month. Most of the elderly people do not have others to care for them or cannot work any longer and with the rising costs they cannot be expected to live on R2,000 per month. They still have rent to pay as well as the normal day to day living expenses that most people can't afford even when receiving a minimum wage.
Dear Editor
Good day. I'm a single mom receiving disability and child support grants. With the costs of living increasing almost every day, it's unfair that only orphaned children can apply for the top-up. Only low-income citizens are approved to receive child support, so why then not increase all CSG? Every child living with either biological or adopted family should be eligible for the top-up. We are all struggling with the increased costs of petrol, electricity, water, and basic amenities! How must we survive?
Dear Editor
Looking at the cost of living, it is unfair that the child grant had a once-off increase of just R20. The price of diapers is very high: R220 per pack! Not to mention food, toiletries and medication for that child. Please consider the request and raise the child grant, dear minister.
Dear Editor
I suggest that all the elderly/pensioners must get a 13th grant payment - maybe on the birthdays/birth month or before the 15th of December every year.
Dear Editor
Can the government please increase the old age pension to R2,500 per month? It is impossible to survive on the current amount with the high inflation rate. The cost of living is extremely high. They deserve much better and need to be taken care of in a dignified manner. They were once upon a time hard workers taking care of their families and they contributed positively to society in different ways.
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