CAPE   TOWN – Billions of Rands is lost every year due to fraud and corruption in the social grants system, but Government is putting several measures in place to put a stop to it.

Fraud and corruption in the state grants system is costing South Africa R1,5-billion every year, but Social Development minister Dr Zola Skweyiya is satisfied that significant strides are being made to address problem areas.

Addressing a media briefing in Parliament Skweyiya said an extensive data interrogation exercise had pinpointed potential areas of fraud and corruption, especially related to the disability grants.

Provincial departments have verified a number of instances of fraud and the Special Investigating Unit, the Scorpions, the South African Police Services and the Justice Department were already pursuing a number of cases involving public servants and syndicates.

A nationwide campaign was also launched on December 12 last year, calling on all people receiving grants that they were not entitled to desist from claiming the money. Government has offered indemnity to those who come forward before March 31.

Skweyiya reported that nine million people were receiving basic social protection from the State, especially via the social grant system. Over 5,5 million children are currently benefiting from social grants.

Last year Cabinet set a target of extending the Child Support Grant to 1,8 million children under 11 years of age. However, the department exceeded this number and have already registered 1,9 million children.

‘€œBetween April 1 and March 31 next year we expect to register an additional 1,2 million vulnerable children between the ages of 11 and 14 years,’€ said Skweyiya.

On the question whether Government would consider extending the grant up to 18 years, Skweyiya declined. ‘€œWe don’€™t have unlimited resources and at present we will do everything to ensure that each and every child under 14 gets access to the grant (once they have undergone a means test).’€

In line with the Extended Public Works Programme, Skweyiya said the Social Sector plan has been finalized and a target has been set of creating 150 000 job opportunities in the next five years.

The plan will initially focus on creating jobs within the areas of home and community based care, community health workers and Early Childhood Development, expanding later into human settlement infrastructure.