Budget 2017: Social grants increase
Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan has announced that social assistance grants will be increased in April.
"Social assistance grants provide income support to the most vulnerable in our society. These will be increased in April to compensate for consumer price inflation," says Gordhan.
Gordhan presented his budget speech in Parliament this afternoon.
- The old age grant will increase by R90 to R1600 for pensioners over the age of 60, and R1620 for those over 75.
- The disability and care dependency grants also increase by R90 to R1600 a month.
- Foster care grants increase by R30 to R920 a month.
- The child support grant increases by R20 to R380 a month.
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Gordhan commended the work of the inter-departmental task team led by the Department of Women that is coordinating government's support for the provision of sanitary pads to indigent women, including learners and students.
"The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education is piloting the rollout of sanitary pads at schools, and I hope we will see complementary initiatives in other provinces," says Gordhan.