ACESS Update

Alliance for Children's Entitlement to Social Security (ACESS) has enclosed an update regarding the new regulations to the Social Assistance Act, and the new means test, for your attention:

The regulations have three key changes in them:

Firstly, the means test applicable to the child support grant is changed from R800 or R1,100 (depending on rural or urban) to R2,200 per month.  This means that you qualify for these grants earning twice as much as you did before.

The child support grant was introduced in 1998, with a means test of R800 or R1100. The test has remained unchanged, and has been eroded in value by inflation over the ten years since the introduction of the grant. It was intended to reach children defined as poor, but with no inflation related adjustments every year the test has gradually excluded more and more children, especially with recent high inflation. This is going to make a big difference – well done especially to the Children’s Institute and Legal Resources Centre, who litigated against the Department of Social Development and Finance to push this change.

Secondly, there are grants that can now be accessed by refugees. The disability grant, and the SROD, can be claimed by refugees. This is as a result of work done by Lawyers for Human Rights, and particularly their litigation. Congratulations to them.

Thirdly, the regulations confirm that the Department will accept alternative ID where people don’t have Home Affairs documents. This follows on ACESS litigation: well done to all ACESS members and the Legal Resources Centre who contributed to this victory.

“These changes will increase the number of people who can access the social security system, by up to a million beneficiaries according to departmental calculations. We are very pleased, and want to warmly congratulate the Department on this step." said Patricia Martin, director at ACESS, in a press release.

Unfortunately the opportunity to increase the CSG to all poor children under 18 was not used. The regulations increase the age from 14 to 15 years as of 1 January 2009. The Department has announced an intention to increase it further in 2010 to age 16 but there is no firm commitment in law. While we wait, children aged 15 – 18 have no support. While we wait, food prices, paraffin and petrol continue to climb and place enormous pressure on poor families. ACESS calls on the Department of Finance to work together with the Department of Social Development to make the intention to increase to 18 a reality now.