Nobantu and Sipho are married with three young children below the age of 10. Both partners are HIV-positive. Sipho has lost his job because he became too ill to work. The doctor says that he could die within 6 months. Nobantu earns R4 800 per month doing part-time domestic work, but she has also become increasingly ill and her employer has warned her on a number of occasions that she will have to find someone else to do the work.

WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?

Both Sipho and Nobantu can apply for a disability grant. The social development minister has also notified the department and SASSA that applications from HIV-positive people for disability grants should be ‘fast-tracked’. This means that these applications should be given priority and processed faster than any other grant applications. The parents can also apply for child support grants for the three children. (See Social grants for adults who are 18 years and older; See Social grants for children below the age of 18 years; See Child support grant)

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

You should find out from the provincial SASSA office that processes disability grants what the policy is on ‘fast-tracking’. Then you should write a letter, setting out the particular circumstances of Nobantu and Sipho and ask the provincial office to ‘fast-track’ their applications. You should also help them apply for child support grants for their three children (who all qualify for the grant because of their ages).