Abstract
M.A. (Development Studies)
The Care Dependency Grant is given to caregivers of children with disabilities from the age of 1 to 18 years. This grant at R1 420 per month is meant to assist the caregiver in addressing the demanding needs of the child (Social Assistance Act 13 of 2004). In response to the dearth in data pertaining to the Care Dependency Grant, this study sought to investigate how the Care Dependency Grant is accessed and used by caregivers, to address the needs of children with disabilities in Orange Farm, South Africa. This qualitative study used focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews, observation and participatory methodologies to understand the experiences of caregivers. It also considered environmental and social influences on these experiences, through the theoretical lenses of the International Clarification of Functioning, Disability and Health (2011), Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) socio-ecological systems theory and Kittay’s (1999) care-dependency relations theory.
Findings in this study reveal an inconsistency between the Social Assistance Act 13 of 2004 and South African Social Security Agency regulations, which has made it difficult for caregivers to apply for and qualify for the grant. Caregivers identified barriers at an institutional level that they encountered while accessing the grant, which include delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis, undefined eligibility criteria and discrimination. Although the grant was used by caregivers to meet children’s transportation, health, nutrition and education needs, the study also found that the grant was spent on stokvel as an essential savings strategy, as well as on addressing needs that were strongly influenced by the community’s perception of care in the context of disabilities.
As in this case, the utilisation of the Care Dependency Grant was found in this study to be influenced by environmental and social factors that affect both the caregiver and the child. The grant in turn influenced interpersonal relations within the family and community. For instance, the Care Dependency Grant was identified by caregivers as having influenced gender roles and power relations within the household and extended family. The grant also influenced the way that care was constructed and experienced in families that had children with disabilities. Hence, the findings suggest that a more holistic understanding of the grant is necessary that considers environmental and social influences on how the grant is accessed and used by caregivers of children with disabilities.