Thread by @RuthHallPLAAS

What should government do about the food crisis?

Give more money to the poor.

Using the Child Support Grant database: this will reach 65% of people who depend on informal jobs, whereas the Old Age Pension only reaches 25%.

#TopUpTheCSG by R500.

Cost: R6.2 billion a month

@ihsaanbassier provided that graph. Thanks, Ihsaan! Also read his & others' compelling argument that #TopUpTheCSG is the best response to the food crisis during the #CovidLockdown:

#TopUpTheGrants

theconversation.com/south-africa-c…

Increasing the Child Support Grant by R500 per month for 6 months is the quickest, easiest and safest way to transfer R40bn to poor households, who can use the cash to buy food and other essentials. Cash transfers also help to stimulate local economies and the informal sector.

Government can quickly get R6.5bn per month into nearly 6 million of the poorest households by topping up the Child Support Grant (13 million grants), starting immediately in two weeks time. Compared with only 2.6 million households getting Old Age Pensions (3.6 million grants).

40% of households that receive the Child Support Grant also rely on informal sector income - which they've now lost due to #CovidLockdown. The overlap is only 10% in households receiving Old Age Pension.

So #TopUpTheCSG is the best first step towards making up for lost incomes.

Increasing the Child Support Grant will reach 75% of the 2.5 million women who have lost their informal sector jobs. It can be done right now. Govt has the evidence. It can make the money available.
@CovidCoalition
@The_DSD
@TreasuryRSA
@PresidencyZA
#TopUpTheCSG #TopUpTheGrants

If you haven't signed yet...
Here's the petition to ask government to agree to a R500 a month top-up on every Child Support Grant. It's the best immediate way to get cash to *most* households in distress. Government can afford it. Do it now! #TopUpTheCSG

awethu.amandla.mobi/petitions/tell…