DSD STRENGTHENS IMPLEMENTATION OF CHILD SUPPORT GRANT TOP-UP THROUGH EASTERN CAPE TRAINING

By Sandi Mbatsha

• The Department of Social Development (DSD) conducted training in the Eastern Cape to strengthen the implementation of the Child Support Grant Top-Up (CSG TP).
• The intervention increases the value of the Child Support Grant by 50% for orphans cared for by relatives and children in child-headed households.
• The training aimed to improve coordination between DSD and SASSA officials to ensure more eligible children access the grant.

The Department of Social Development (DSD), through its Comprehensive Social Security Branch, conducted a training programme on the implementation of the Child Support Grant Top-Up (CSG TP) in the Eastern Cape.

The training session took place on Thursday, 12 March 2026, in St Francis Bay, as part of the department’s national effort to strengthen the rollout of the intervention and ensure that more vulnerable children benefit from the grant.

The Child Support Grant Top-Up, introduced on 1 June 2022, is a social assistance intervention designed to support orphans living in the care of relatives and children in child-headed households. The intervention increases the value of the Child Support Grant by 50% above the base grant amount, providing additional financial support to households caring for vulnerable children.

Importantly, the programme enables relatives caring for orphans to access the grant directly through the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) without first requiring a social worker’s investigation, report, or a court order. This approach was introduced to ensure quicker access to financial support for children in need.

Despite its importance, the uptake of the Child Support Grant Top-Up has remained low across the country, prompting the department to intensify awareness and capacity-building initiatives.

The training in the Eastern Cape brought together officials from the Department of Social Development and SASSA to clarify roles and responsibilities in the implementation of the programme. The initiative sought to address challenges arising from a limited understanding of the operational processes between the two institutions.

The capacity-building programme was particularly significant for the Eastern Cape, where many children face challenges related to poverty and malnutrition. By strengthening implementation at provincial level, the department aims to ensure that more eligible children receive the support they need.

The initiative also contributes to the broader commitment made by the President during the State of the Nation Address on 12 February 2026, which emphasised the importance of expanding social protection measures to reach the most vulnerable members of society.

As South Africa marks 30 years of its democratic Constitution, the department says programmes such as the Child Support Grant Top-Up demonstrate government’s continued commitment to realising the constitutional promise of dignity, equality, and protection for all children.

DSD has announced that comparable capacity-building sessions are scheduled to take place across all nine provinces, with the intention of extending the training in the next financial year to encompass civil society organisations and community members. The primary objective is to enhance grant awareness and ensure that all eligible children have access to the support available to them.

The department reiterated its dedication to guaranteeing that all eligible children receive support, as it further enhances social protection programs for vulnerable children nationwide.