Impact evaluation of South Africas Child Support Gant

Impact evaluation of South Africa’s Child Support Gant on Child Protection: A Qualitative Review George Laryea-Adjei, UNICEF Stephen Devereux, IDS Maureen Motepe, Dept of Soc Dev 25 May 2011 1

Background 2

Historical background • In 1994, the new government inherited a fragmented social security system, that was to the benefit of the minority white population. • The old age grant (since 1928) was highly discriminatory until 1993 when benefit levels became equal among all races. • Infrastructure for administering the old age grant proved useful in the introduction and subsequent expansion of other social assistance schemes in the post-apartheid era 3

Legal background • A progressive constitution in 1996 included provisions for the right to social security: – everyone has the right to have access to social security including, if they are unable to support themselves and their dependants, …’ S. 27 (1) (c) – ‘state must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to achieve the progressive realisation of each of these rights’ S. 27(2) 4

The child support grant: • The child support grant is the largest social assistance programme in South Africa by number of recipients (over 10 million children) • The grant is means-tested • The means test threshold for the child support grant is set at 10 times the value of the grant 8

Qualifying Requirements • The primary care giver must be a South African citizen or permanent resident. • Both the applicant and the child must reside in South Africa. • The child/children must be under the age of 18 years. • The applicant and spouse must meet the requirements of the means test. • The applicant cannot apply for more than six non biological children. • The child can not be cared for in state institution. 9

Coverage of Child Support Grant 12, 000 10, 336, 000 10, 000 8, 000 6, 000 4, 000 2, 000 0 150, 366 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011* 2012* 10

CSG Progression • Gradual extension by age: 2003 to children under 9 2004, to children under 11 2005 to children under 14 January 2009 to children up to 15 years November 2009 staggered extension to include children up to the age of 18 years. – January 2010 to children up to 16 years – January 2011 all eligible children under 18. – – – • The 2009 amended regulations requires that proof of school attendance be submitted to SASSA within a month of approval of the grant. 11

Summary Statistics Grant Coverage- End March 2011 10, 420, 282 Grant Value R 260 Grant Increases Apr 07 -Apr 11 R 200 -R 260 Income Threshold (means-test) -single -married R 31 200 R 62 400 12

Spending on CSG 13

Spending on CSG 14

So, the CSG Impact Evaluation tried to answer a number of policy questions 1. What are the enabling conditions that permit households to successfully access CSG? 2. What factors/conditions limit access to the CSG? 3. What changes in design could ameliorate these limiting factors? Are these ‘technical’ changes or changes that address constraints at the community or household level? 15

Specific Questions for the CSG IE 1. How has early versus late affected the well-being of children? Non-enrolled was dropped because of difficulty to locate/find 2. What are the pathways/mechanisms that have led to changes in these welfare indicators? 3. How are critical life course events of adolescents – school continuation, labour force initiation, delay in take-up of risky behaviours – affected by the extension of the CSG? 4. What are the pathways/mechanisms by which the CSG can affect these critical life course events? 5. What is the impact of the CSG on recipient households? 16

The ‘theory of change’ The design process made the following propositions to be tested: 1) Cash grants targeted on children directly reduce the poverty and vulnerability of children living in poor households. 2) In addition to funding increased consumption, cash grants enable poor households and carers to participate in productive economic activity 3) Cash grants address the underlying causes of poverty, by enabling poor households to invest in physical, social, and human capital assets 4) Receipt of cash grants can reduce the adoption of risky behaviours, such as transactional sex, alcohol consumption or substance abuse, in particular amongst adolescents. 5) Specific features of the CSG – including that it is unconditional, that it targets care-givers, that it is delivered periodically and predictably, and that transaction costs are relatively low – all ensure that the overall net effectiveness of the programme is maximised. 17

Qualitative evaluation • Decisions and processes surrounding CSG applications • Experiences around receipt of the grant at paypoints, including accessibility and service delivery standards • Use of the grant and service access • Life circumstances of and issues concerning girls and boys ages 13 -15 • Child protection, social welfare, early childhood development 18

Sample for Qualitative work Province Type of locality Eastern Cape Urban Kwa. Zulu-Natal Peri-urban Rural Urban Peri-urban Rural Gauteng Urban Limpopo Urban Peri-urban Rural Name of locality Boesak Ground, Missionvale, Port Elizabeth First Avenue, Umtata Engcobo Umlazi Merrivale Izingolweni Flamboyant; Middle Crescent; Kwaggasrand Jewels Avenue; Extension 13; Lenasia Extension 2; Sicelo Village; Meyerton Zone 2; Seshego Groothoek Koloti 19

Quantitative work • The measure differences in outcomes between the beneficiaries and their counterfactual • Application of “difference-in-differences” or “double difference” methods: “before/after” and “with/without” data • Propensity score matching • Regression Discontinuity Design 20

“double difference” method 21

Findings from the Qualitative Evaluation with special focus on Child Protection 22

BOYS Children’s work (1): Income-earning activities Washing cars and taxis Gardening House construction Agricultural labour Petty trading Taxi conductor Selling scrap metal Motor mechanic Barbering Shoe-shining Pushing shopping trolleys GIRLS Hairdressing Beautician Domestic work Child-care (“babysitting”) Petty trading Cooking and selling food Shop assistant (stacking shelves, cashier) Transactional sex 23

ECD services (1): Why parents value ECD • Education. (“I think it’s important for a child to attend a day-care, because it helps kids to be bright when he goes to school. ”) (“The school principals nowadays do not want to enrol children in grade one if they didn’t attend crèche or preschool. ”) • Social interaction. (“Though it is costly to send a child to crèche it is very important for the child, so that she can mingle with other children. ”) • Security. (“If your children are at crèche they are secured. ”) • Child-care. (“We use the crèche because we are job-hunting, and there 24

ECD services (2): CSG and ECD • CSG pays ECD fees. (“People who receive CSG don’t have a problem to pay for crèche. ”) (“Yes the CSG does help pay for the crèche fees – if I didn't have it my child wouldn't be attending crèche. ”) • CSG pays non-fee costs. (“We buy toiletries for our children when they go to crèche, and also prepare a lunch box, and we use the CSG to do that. ”) • CSG pays only for low-quality ECD. (“The grant does help us to pay for pre-schools, but only the cheap affordable ones which cost R 30 to R 50. ”) • No CSG = no ECD. (“If we were to get grant we would be able to pay for crèche. ”)25

Children’s work (2): impacts on education Challenges faced by children: • Children miss classes or school-days because of their work • Children drop out of school to earn money • Children who work after school cannot do their homework, or concentrate in class • Once children start earning they don’t see the value of education • Education is highly valued, and children are usually discouraged from working if it interferes with school • Some children choose not to work, to prioritise education • Other children work only after hours and at weekends. CSG and child work: • There is no clear evidence from research of a correlation between getting CSG and a tendency to go to work and neglect education 26

Adolescent risks (1): “Ranked” 1. Drugs and alcohol 2. Dating older men for money 3. Pregnancy 4. Crime 5. HIV/AIDS + STIs 6. Gangs 7. Sexual abuse 8. Prostitution 9. Lack of discipline and guidance from adults 10. Peer pressure 11. Involved with teachers 12. Dating older women for money 27

Adolescent risks (2): Impact of CSG 1. Poverty plays a role in risky behaviour. (“they don’t have anything to put on the table. ”) 2. CSG beneficiaries are less at risk. (“Those who receive the grant can buy something to eat. ”) (“Yes, non-recipients are more vulnerable; they can only use their body to get money. ”) 3. CSG makes no difference. (“The CSG has nothing to do with children involving themselves in risky behaviours. Children will always misbehave if they don’t have a proper upbringing – upbringing is the key. ”) 28

Social workers • Social workers are overworked. (“You need to go to their offices and book an appointment, and those lists are always full. ”) • Some social workers are polite and helpful. (“They do encourage us and they make us feel better. ”) • But other social workers are rude and unhelpful. (“One person just shoves you to another person. ”) • CSG application process. (“They helped me to apply for a grant for my daughter’s child. They took me to court in Pretoria, where I got a letter to bring to SASSA. ”) • Advising children on CSG. (“They are the ones who help us with issues concerning CSG, they tell us who receives the CSG money and 29 what the money is for. ”)

Summary influence on other services How the CSG helps with schooling Pays school fees • “It does help a lot especially for school – you are able to pay the school fees with it, and the kids get money for lunch at break. ” • “A lot of children leave home hungry, but they are encouraged to come to school because they know they are going to eat. ” • “Many teenagers who dropped out from school came back. I think this CSG money made them to realise that their future is still there. ” 30 Pays other school costs Pays for transport Provides lunch at school Provides food in general Buys clothing Improves concentration Discourages working

What is needed to keep children in school Discipline Support of parents Support of teachers Support of government Uniforms Money Jobs Food Other school supplies Transport Recreational activities Increased CSG The new conditionality Pro-conditionality (“I think this CSG policy is a good one. It will assist the school-children first of all to attend regularly. It will help us because there has been a critical absenteeism of learners. ” – teacher) Anti-conditionality (“I don’t think that is an issue, because the families of the children need to understand that children need to go to school, regardless of CSG. If it focuses on the CSG then it will be wrong. ” 31

Health Access to health care CSG money pays for health care – hospital, medicines, transport). (“If the child is sick, it is easy to take her to the doctor – you can afford to pay because she is receiving the grant. ”) CSG provides “health insurance” – can borrow for health costs. (“Because I have the CSG, I can borrow money for health services and pay back when I get the grant. It is common in our village. ”) Costs – clinic is free for children under 7, cheap for adults; hospital more expensive; private doctors most expensive. CSG provides access to government health services, sometimes private doctors. (“We cannot afford private doctors with the CSG. ” ) No discount for CSG – only unemployed, pensioners, disabled. (“Whether you are a CSG recipient or not, you have to pay. ”)32

Health and birth certificates Standard procedure 1. Women who give birth at a hospital are referred to a clinic. 2. Clinic issues an immunisation card (IC) for the child. 3. Mother applies for the child’s birth certificate at Home Affairs. 4. Mother uses the birth certificate to apply for CSG at SASSA. (“You get the clinic card and then apply at Home Affairs for a birth certificate, and if you get the birth certificate you then apply at SASSA for the Child Support Grant. ”) New procedure 1. Birth certificates are issued in hospital after birth. (“If you have your ID they can make a birth certificate at the same time at the hospital. ”) 2. Mother uses the birth certificate to apply for CSG at SASSA. 33

Use of grant and influence on outcomes 34

“Mis–use” by recipients Alcohol (cited most often). (“Some do not even use it for the intended beneficiary, they just drink alcohol with it. This does not mean they only started drinking after receiving the CSG. ”) Visits to hairdressers (by care-givers who collect the grant). (“There are those who go to the salon to get their hair done. ”) Expensive clothes (for care-givers who collect the grant). (“There are those people who use it to buy expensive clothes while their children are struggling. They are just irresponsible. ”) Consensus: Most recipients do use the CSG responsibly. (“But most of the recipients use the money correctly, whereby the child’s needs are first priority because the most important thing is the child’s needs. ”) 35

Intra-household problems 1. Some young mothers rely on relatives to care for their child, while mis-spending the money on themselves. (“I know of a teenage mother who left her child with the grandmother, but she did not leave the bank card so she withdraws the money and uses it for other things, and the child is not benefiting from the grant. ”) 2. “Secondary care-givers” sometimes ask SASSA to transfer control of the CSG from an irresponsible primary-care-giver. (“I woke up one morning and found my grandson left at my gate by his mother. So I went to SASSA offices and reported my story. When I came back they had stopped the grant on her name and helped me get all the documents I needed. So the SASSA offices were very helpful in helping me get the grant for my grandson. ”) 36

Control of CSG cash Primary care-giver (usually female) decides how CSG money is used, usually alone – without consulting their partner. (“I make decisions because I am the mother. ”) Men rarely get any CSG money. (“A woman giving a man money? I have never heard of such a thing! I don’t even get a cent from her, especially the CSG money. ”) Sometimes older children are involved in decision-making. (“I do have some influence, because my mom tells me when the date is close and I say what I want. ”) In 3 -generation households (PCG living with her parents), the oldest generation has some say over CSG spending decisions. (“You cannot decide on your own if you are still under your parental guidance. ”) 37

Recommendations 38

Recommendations (1) • Clearer communication on CSG eligibility & application procedures: (1) income thresholds for the means test; (2) eligibility of care-givers who are formally employed; (3) eligibility by nationality, citizenship and residence status. • The CSG payment amount should be automatically adjusted every year, at least to match the inflation rate. • Monitor participating stores to stop recipients being compelled to spend some CSG money at the store before collecting the balance. • To promote financial inclusion of people on low incomes, banks should allow recipients to save CSG money, instead of suspending their accounts if the money is not withdrawn within three months. 39

Recommendations (2) • The new “soft conditionality” on education should be evaluated, to see whether it has an impact on school attendance and enrolment. • Interventions are needed to improve school attendance, such as integrating social workers into schools; improving school-based recreation activities; providing school lunches in secondary schools; increasing donations of old uniforms; providing free transport on school buses; and eliminating ‘casual Fridays’. • More social workers are urgently needed, especially in poor urban and peri-urban communities, where social problems and risky behaviours are concentrated. • Complementary interventions for adolescents include increasing the access of adolescents to social workers and psychologists. 40