Do Social Grants Foster Dependency or Alleviate Poverty
The Impact of Social Grants on South African Society
Discuss the amounts of poverty and dependency resulting from social grants in South Africa through the findings of current research.
Social grants has of recent been a subject of debate in South Africa concerning their impact to poverty and dependency. Different scholars indicate that these grants are valuable for eradicating extreme poverty as presented in the following cross studies. For instance, the emergency social grant has eventually reduced about 25% of extreme/poor population out of about 4 million populations.
At the present time percentages of unemployment are high, 32.1% exactly, and this level consistently affects the fight against poverty. Critics of social grants say they fuel dependency, yet the facts prove them as enabling clients to improve their standards by providing them with dignity and care. A qualitative report shows how these grants help families to feed them without having to be begging or borrowing.
However, it has been remarkably observed that such enlarge- ment could meaningfully boost the potential of these grants. A study shows that an increase in the grant’s amount can result in a 24% reduction of extreme poor when compared to just a change of the eligibility criteria. This implies that financial support be accompanied with measures towards economic activation of the beneficiaries.
Thus, various social grants seem to be equal to more than merely funds; they participate in the fight against poverty in the RSA. Looking to the future, the indicators of these programs have to be assessed, in order to enhance the effectiveness, and at the same time support the independence of beneficial individuals.
