Child Support Grant, Digi Mart USA News (Gauteng, South Africa): Beunice Williams, a 24-year-old Gauteng mother, says she runs out of money before the end of each month. She has received the Child Support Grant for three years and says it does not cover her household’s basic needs.
Williams shared her experience in The South African’s SASSA grant survey. She lives in a shared family home where one to two people depend on her income.
The Child Support Grant now pays R580 per child per month, up from R560 previously. For Williams, that increase has not closed the gap.
She spends the grant on a mix of essentials, including food, transport and household necessities. By the end of each month, nothing is left, and she says she regularly struggles to make ends meet while waiting for the next payment.
The shortfall has hit her household hard. Williams confirmed that someone in her home went without food in the past month.
Williams is unemployed and actively looking for work. She has experience in retail and customer service and can travel between five and 20 kilometres for a job.
She names unemployment as her biggest financial concern, saying that without a salary, the grant carries most of the weight in her household.
Williams has also applied for additional government support beyond the Child Support Grant, and that application was successful.
When asked what one thing she would change about SASSA, she said she wants the grant amount increased. She says her grant payments have been straightforward, has never had a problem with them, and rates SASSA’s communication with recipients as adequate.
Her biggest frustration lies elsewhere. Williams says finding clear, accurate information online is her greatest challenge as a grant recipient.
“Please make information that’s required via your app or websites 100% clear,” Williams said.
Her story reflects a reality many caregivers share: payments arrive on time, but the money and the information still fall short.
