SASSA increase demanded by Gauteng mom after years of running short
· The South African
A 45-year-old mother from Gauteng has relied on the Child Support Grant for more than five years to help feed her family of seven. Despite working part-time to supplement the R580-per-child SASSA payment, she says she regularly struggles to make ends meet and consistently runs out of money before the month is over.
The mother uses her grant strictly for food and groceries, but with six dependants under her care, the monthly amount simply doesn’t stretch far enough. Rising food prices and the general cost of living remain her biggest financial worry, a concern echoed by grant recipients across the country as inflation continues to squeeze household budgets.
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Long queues and card issues add to the pressure
She receives her payments through her Postbank account, but accessing support hasn’t always been smooth. She rated her overall SASSA experience as poor, pointing to long queues and wait times at SASSA offices, along with payment delays and issues with her SASSA card as her biggest challenges. To make matters worse, she must travel more than 20km to reach her nearest SASSA office, adding transport costs to an already stretched budget.
Despite having admin and office skills that could open doors to better employment, she hasn’t found opportunities that would lift her family out of financial strain. She also says she wasn’t aware of any additional support programmes that could help ease her burden, highlighting a broader information gap among many grant recipients.
Caregiver wants one thing: a bigger grant
When asked what change would make the biggest difference in her life, she didn’t hesitate: she wants the grant amount increased. Asked whether speaking out helps, she said it makes no difference and that nothing ever gets done.
Her frustration reflects a broader sentiment among the 18 million South Africans who depend on SASSA grants, especially as unemployment is above 32%. For families like hers, the grant remains a lifeline, but one that many say is stretched too thin to keep up with the real cost of living.
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