Youth whose applications have been approved to receive the state Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress grant of R350 in the Free State make up the largest number nationally, roughly 60%.
Despite a slight decline, the number remains high even after verification of applications to identify those who duly qualify for the grant.
The current number as confirmed by the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) in the Free State, stands at 533 625, translating to a decline of 52 540; the number was 586 165 in September last year. The statics pertain to numbers considered since the introduction of the grant at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
Relebohile Maphasa, provincial spokesperson for Sassa, attributed the decrease to the influence of factors such as income sources, for instance the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) and the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF). Of the beneficiaries approved for the R350 in the Free State, about 18 096 reportedly have tertiary qualifications.
The paying out of the grant is scheduled to end in March 2024, after government has already extended its term in the midst of unemployment remaining rife.
Statics South Africa revealed that youth aged 15 to 24 years and 25 to 34 years represented the highest unemployment rates of 60,7% and 39,8%, respectively. The official unemployment rate stood at 31,9% in the third quarter of this year.
