System error puts school patroller’s child grant at risk
A Diepsloot school patroller says payment problems have not only left her financially strained but have also affected the child support grant she depends on to care for her family.
For Diepsloot school patroller Permission Rikhotso, the ongoing payment dispute has created more than financial hardship; it has also put her child support grant at risk.
Rikhotso claimed she has been incorrectly registered on the government system as a permanent employee, despite earning less than R2 900 a month as a school patroller.
Read more: Parents seek child documentation help at Diepsloot outreach
The error has had devastating consequences for her household.
“ When I visit the South African Social Security Agency (Sasa) regarding my kids’ child support grant, I was informed that the system reflects that I earn more than R8 000 a month.”
She insists this information is incorrect and said it does not reflect her actual income.
“I earn less than R2 900, but the system says I earn over R8 000.”
The discrepancy has forced her to repeatedly provide affidavits declaring that she has little to no income in an effort to prove that she still qualifies for the grant.
Rikhotso fears that the incorrect information could result in her child support grant being suspended, leaving her family without an important source of income.
Also read: Help arrives for Diepsloot fathers trying to obtain child documentation
She said the uncertainty has caused constant stress as she worries about how she will continue providing for her child if the grant is stopped.
“Although we get delayed with stipends, I am grateful to have employment, but the administrative challenges surrounding the income have placed me in an impossible position.”
Instead of receiving financial stability, she finds herself caught between delayed payments and a government system that she believes does not accurately reflect her employment status.
She said all she wants is to be paid correctly and for the system to reflect the truth, allowing her to continue supporting her family without the fear of losing the assistance she depends on.
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