An investigation into the utility of the child-support grant : perceptions from beneficiaries

Abstract

Poverty is one of South Africa’s greatest challenges and in response to this; the government provides social security in the form of social grants such as the child support grant. The grant is a cash transfer paid to the primary caregiver of a child below the age of 18 years. Despite the provision of the child support grant, poverty remains a challenge to those who rely on the grant as their only source of income. The study explored the perceptions of recipients of the childsupport grant on the utility of the grant. The study adopted a qualitative research approach which was exploratory and descriptive in nature. In-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted with a sample of 12 participants from Tembisa who were selected using the snowballing sampling technique. Thematic content analysis was used. The findings revealed that the grant was used for educational expenses and for food or clothing. However, some caregivers abused the grant by purchasing alcohol and using the grant for gambling. The study revealed that the grant provides households with income security, improves school attendance and contributes towards improved access to health care. However, the study also revealed that there were challenges associated with the provision of the grant. Firstly, participants reported that the grant was inadequate. Secondly, the grant was abused by the caregivers. Lastly, participants cited poor administration procedures and lack of clarity on the required documentation as other challenges. Participants felt that, holding caregivers accountable by monitoring the utilisation of the grant and creating employment opportunities could mitigate these challenges. The study concludes that the grant provides children with a safety net and enables them to access basic services. The recommendations made are that caregivers should be engaged in activities which allow them to become self-reliant so as to minimize dependence on the grant and to ensure that applicants are fully aware of the requirements needed when initiating an application. The findings of this study have potential to influence social welfare policy-makers to address the challenges associated with the provision of the grant. The findings of this study also have potential to enable policy makers to establish ways of ensuring sustainable provision of the grant.