Will child support grant be extended to those 18 and still in school? Nope says minister

The minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu made it clear that the government will not consider extending child support grant (CSG) for people still in school.

This is despite former minister Bathabile Dlamini’s word in 2015 where she said the state was considering extending the grant for 18 to 21-year-olds still in school.

“The child support grant is a huge investment in human capital development, and to this extent, we need to ensure that it is not terminated when the child turns 18. To this end, we intend to work with families to save a portion of the child support grant every month to be available when the child turns 18,” said Dlamini.

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18-year-olds not eligible for CSG

The current minister refutes Dlamini’s promises which have yet to be implemented. Furthermore, Zulu maintains that CSG is only receivable to children under the age of 18 as per legislation.

Responding to a parliamentary question on Wednesday last week, Zulu said while pupils aged 18 and above would no longer receive grant, they can apply for other forms of social government handouts.

“It is important to note that the Social Assistance legislation only provides for receipt of the CSG up to the month in which the child turns 18. However, the same beneficiaries would be eligible to apply for Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant,” she added.

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Moreover, the minister also said the government further caters for children who finished high school, and have interests of furthering their education.

“In addition, through the National Integration Social Protection System (NISPS) programme, Department of Social Development links CSG beneficiaries to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas), should they wish to pursue their education at institutions of higher learning and they are exempted from NSFAS means test,” clarified Zulu.

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