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South Africa: Temporary Assistance For Persons in Dire Material Need
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BuaNews (Tshwane)
ANALYSIS
13 May 2008
Posted to the web 13 May 2008
Gabi Khumalo
South Africans who are living below the bread line and struggling to make a life for their families are to benefit from a new government initiative, writes Gabi Khumalo.
Government has allocated more funds towards households who are facing hardship in the form of temporary assistance.
R124 million has been allocated to the SA Social Security Agency (SASSA) and to provincial Departments of Social Development, which will form part of the Social Relief of Distress programme for the 2008/9 financial year.
The programme makes the temporary provision of assistance for intended for persons in such a dire material need that they are unable to meet their families' most basic needs.
Announcing the department's budget on Monday, Minister of Social Development, Dr Zola Skweyiya requested civil society and faith-based organisations to assist the department in raising awareness of this form of assistance.
He said the department has relied much on church groups in the past to assist people to apply for social grants and other forms of assistance.
"[Church groups] can be of great help to us at this moment as well, there are many families in distress who do not know that there is this type of relief that they can obtain from government," said Minister Skweyiya.
According to a statement from the department, one qualifies for the programme only if the family is in a crisis situation.
This could be due to one of the following factors:
- You need help while you wait for the children's grants to be processed by government;
- A crisis or disaster has occurred, like your house has burnt down;
- You do not qualify for a social grant, and you are in a desperate situation;
- You are unable to work because you are medically unfit, meaning you are sick for less than six months;
- You are unable to get maintenance for your child or children from the child's other parent.
- The breadwinner in the family has died;
- The breadwinner has been sent to prison for a short time, less than six months; or
- You have been affected by a disaster, but the area or community in which you live has not been declared a disaster area.
The department explained that the relief may come in the form of a food parcel or a voucher to buy food, although some provinces give their assistance in the form of cash.
"Social Relief of Distress is meant to be administered for a short time only, usually for up to three months and sometimes for six months," the department said.
In order to get the assistance, one needs to apply at their nearest Social Security Office.
The application should be accompanied by the 13-digit bar-coded identity document and children's birth certificates.
Proof must be provided that the applicant has applied for a grant, had an emergency, tried to get maintenance, has no other source of support, marital status and that he or she has no income and has a short-term medical disability.
"If you do not have an identity document and birth certificates, an affidavit from your local police station, chief, councillor or religious leader may be enough proof.
The department ensured that the application process would not be a delayed.
Once your application is submitted, your genuine need for the service will be assessed as well as the credibility of the application.
The department assured the applicants that they will get their first month's food parcel, voucher or cash even if they do not have all the required documents.
However, the department stressed that all documents should be submitted to the officer before the second month's payment is due.
"If you do not [submit all the documents], you may not get your second and third month's food parcel, voucher or cash," it said.
Although the relief programme is only given for three moths, if there is no change in applicants' circumstances after receiving the grant for three months, they may apply to have the grant extended for another three months.
The department explained that the provincial department was responsible for administering the programme for remaining categories defined in the Social Assistance Act, 2004 including "undue hardship" which needs to be assessed by social workers.
Identified applicants including individuals and groups will be referred to SASSA for issue of the SRD.
The allocation will be jointly accessed by SASSA and provincial social development departments on a 50/50 split basis, subject to review.
The expenditure will be monitored on a monthly basis and adjustments will be made to allocations where necessary, the department explained.
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The KwaZulu-Natal province has been allocated more with R27 801 900 followed by Eastern Cape R23 176 552, Limpopo R15 806 088, Gauteng received R14 985 256, North West received R10 038 480, Western Cape R9 283 164, Free State R 8 647 344, Mpumalanga was allocated R8 191 356 with Northern Cape receiving R6 094 860.
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