Here’s everything you need to know about SASSA Child Support Top-Up and how you can bolster your child support grant each month if you qualify. Disbursed by the South African Social Security Agency, the top-up is not new, and goes to the neediest families taking care of minors who are orphans.
SASSA CHILD SUPPORT TOP-UP
According to the latest figures, roughly 14-million beneficiaries receive a child support grant of R530 each month. It increased just last month, along with all the other major grants. However, the Department of Social Development (DSD) wanted an additional amount set aside for SASSA Child Support Top-Up for orphans.
Furthermore, in a release featured on SA Government News, the Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu encouraged all relatives caring for orphaned children to come forward and apply for a SASSA Child Support Top-Up.
WHAT DOES CHILD SUPPORT TOP-UP MEAN?
The agency clarifies that by ‘Top-Up’ it means an additional amount over and above the regular R530 SASSA Child Support Grant per month. As such, an additional R260 supplements the standard grant amount to give a grand total of R790. SASSA reiterates that only relatives caring for an orphaned child can apply.
While there are no concrete figures, it has been reported previously that more than 6 000 applicants are in place for SASSA Child Support Top-Up. And, once again, Minister Zulu urges all caregivers of orphans to apply as soon as possible for financial support.
ACCESSIBLE AND EASY TO GET
So, to ensure people don’t take advantage of the system, what checks and balances are in place? According to SASSA it’s a fairly straightforward process that takes just one month to be approved. The caregiver of an orphaned child (under 18-years old) needs to see a social worker before approaching SASSA. Said social worker will assess their situation, and complete a form in terms of section 137 of the Children’s Act. The caregiver must also supply proof that the child in question is an orphan and that both parents are deceased.
The above actions will unlock the SASSA Child Support Top-Up and extra monetary support due. According to Children Count’s study through the University of Cape Town, there are approximately 2.8-million orphaned kids in South Africa. So, the relatively low numbers of SASSA Child Support Top-Up applicants in 2024 is hard to quantify.
CHILDREN’S GRANT PAYMENTS FOR 2024
Here are the payment dates for all SASSA children’s grant (including Foster Care, Child Dependency, Child Support and Top-Up) for the remainder of the year:
- Tuesday 7 May 2024.
- Thursday 6 June 2024.
- Thursday 4 July 2024.
- Tuesday 6 August 2024.
- Thursday 5 September 2024.
- Friday 4 October 2024.
- Thursday 7 November 2024.
- Thursday 5 December 2024.
NEXT READ: UPDATED info: May 2024 SASSA Older Persons grants
Are you interested in SASSA Child Support Top-Up? Be sure to share your thoughts and experiences about the grant with our audience in the comments section below. And don’t forget to follow us @TheSANews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest updates.
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