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Answers to your questions

Have a question you would like answered? Email us and we may answer it. The questions here are based on ones from our readers, with identifying information removed.

My late grandfather had children with two women who he didn't marry. Do they have claim to his house?

The mothers don't but the children do have claim to the house.

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Are caregivers employees or independent contractors?

They are employees if you control when and how they work.

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Can I apply for a child grant if my partner isn't South African?

You can apply for the child support grant if your partner is a refugee or permanent resident.

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Can my landlord change the price I agreed to buy the house for?

If it was a verbal agreement, there is nothing stopping him from changing the price.

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Does the disability grant cover mental health issues?

Sometimes, but ultimately it is up to SASSA's discretion

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I want to stop using heroin now that I'm pregnant. What detoxification programmes are available in Cape Town?

The DSD has a community-based substance abuse programme. Ante-natal clinics often also have methadone withdrawal programmes.

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Should an employer pay their worker during the period before the disability benefit is paid out?

The employer is not obliged to retain an employee who is permanently incapacitated if her working circumstances cannot be adapted.

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Can a wife inherit an RDP house if she was not listed as a beneficiary?

It depends whether or not the deceased left a will

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Can an employer withhold your salary and provident fund if you breach the contract?

An employer can only withhold your salary if they have a court order. They cannot withhold the provident fund.

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Can an abandoned child get a birth certificate?

Yes, but you may need help to get Home Affairs to comply.

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