Cape Town - Over 13 million citizens are currently receiving social assistance benefits and of these beneficiaries, nine million are children.
This is according to Social Development Minister Edna Molewa who tabled her Budget Vote in Parliament on Friday.
Government has recognised ocial grants remain the most effective form of poverty alleviation, especially during the current financial downturn.
In April this year, government increased all grants, including the old age and disability grants, which were increased from R960 to R1 010, the child support grant from R230 to R240, foster care grant increased from R650 to R680 and the care dependency grant from R960 to R1 010.
Government also extended the Child Support Grant to children up to 15 years in January 2009, meaning that the grant could benefit an additional 300 000 children. Minister Molewa said the department intended to register an additional 200 000 children under 15 years by the end of August 2009.
"We recognise that despite all these efforts, over 2 million children over the age of 15 years remain trapped in poverty and in response to this, we will soon table a plan for the phased extension of the child support grant to this category of children to be implemented over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework cycle," she said.
In tackling adult poverty, the minister said government would continue to implement its plan to bring parity between men and women who qualify for the old age grant.
Since July last year over 70 000 men, aged 63 and 64, have received grants as a result of the age equalisation policy. As from April this year, the grant was extended to all men over 61 years.
"We expect to register 55 000 elderly men by the end of August this year," Ms Molewa said.
In responding to the rising food prices, the department increased the social relief budget from R124 million to R624 million, the benefit was distributed from November 2008 to April 2009.
The minister said in the context of the global recession, the department would maintain the expenditure necessary to ensure that those who suffer destitution are able to access social relief.
To expedite the provision of social relief, the department will also explore working with faith-based organisations and non-governmental organisations to assist in the distribution of social relief.
The Provincial Departments of Social Development, to which the administration of social relief will be delegated, will play a key role in overseeing and supporting these civil society organisations.
Minister also announced that a thorough Business Process Re-engineering initiative will be implemented to assist South African Social Security Agency's (SASSA) efficiency and challenges they face.
This will improve the turnaround time for processing grant applications, she noted.
The department is further working with the Post Office on measures to reduce the cost of grant payments and improve accessibility
