Cash transfers and child health: understanding the barriers and facilitators to early application and receipt of the child support grant in Langa Township, Cape Town

Abstract

The Child Support Grant (CSG) is increasingly a social protection instrument of choice aimed at alleviating child poverty and malnutrition in South Africa, with over 13 million children as beneficiaries of the Child Support Grant (CSG). Timely receipt of the grant, within the first three months of birth, is needed for the CSG to be protective against stunting(Aguero et al., 2006). Late application for the Child Support Grant (CSG) remains a significant issue, even 25 years after the grant's establishment. Despite national uptake rates consistently hovering around 80%, take up for children younger than 1 is still low at less than 50%, with the majority of mothers still applying for the CSG late after delivery. This study aimed to explore the reasons behind this late application and understand the contributing factors. The study employed a qualitative exploratory approach to conduct interviews and focus group discussions with 30 mothers/primary caregivers who are 18 years and above with children under 6 years, who have applied and received CSG. . Fifteen in-depth interviews and 2 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted to gain a greater understanding, at individual and community level. The age of mothers was stratified according to different age groups (18-24; 2531; 32-38; 39-45;>45). These mothers/primary caregivers were sampled from a longitudinal birth cohort study that ran for 6 years (2016 to 2022) in Langa, Western Cape. The data were analysed using thematic content analysis, and used to formulate themes.