Johannesburg -
Social grants go up this month.
The annual increases were announced in the national Budget in February and officially gazetted on Monday.
“These grants boost the incomes of poor households, which bear the brunt of persistent unemployment, poverty and inequality in South Africa,” the Department of Social Development budget for 2015/16 said.
The grants take about 94 percent of the department’s budget and will cost about R130 billion this year.
They help 16 911 580 beneficiaries.
Nearly 12 million of the beneficiaries get child support grants, and 3.2 million pensioners get the older persons grant.
There are only 230 war veterans grant recipients left.
By 2017/18, the department expects to spend about R149bn on grants, helping about 17.5 million beneficiaries.
Pretoria News