The Child Support Grant top-up currently applies only when both parents are deceased. While this policy aims to protect vulnerable children, it unintentionally excludes thousands of children who are being raised by widowed parents after the death of one parent.

Widowed parents carry the full responsibility of raising their children alone — financially, emotionally, and practically. The loss of a spouse often results in the loss of income, household stability, and support systems. Despite this, widowed households receive no additional assistance beyond the standard Child Support Grant.

As a widowed parent raising four children, I know firsthand how difficult it is to stretch the current Child Support Grant to meet basic needs. Food, school expenses, clothing, electricity, and essential household costs continue to rise, while the grant remains limited. There is no second income, no co-parent support, and no safety net for many widowed families.

Children raised by widowed parents face the same risks of poverty, hunger, and instability as those who qualify for the top-up grant, yet they are excluded due to a technical definition that focuses on whether one parent is still alive, rather than the household’s real circumstances.

This petition calls on the Department of Social Development and SASSA to recognise widowed parents as a vulnerable group and to extend the Child Support Grant top-up to households where one parent has passed away.

Supporting widowed parents is not about special treatment. It is about fairness, dignity, and ensuring that all children at risk of poverty receive the protection they deserve, regardless of their family structure.