The impact of HIV and AIDS on households in the context of social security in South Africa

Abstract

This study describes the social security system in South Africa with a special focus on the exclusion and marginalisation of people living with HIV and AIDS from its coverage. The study observes that the most pertinent concerns are the narrow coverage of the contributory social security, which effectively excludes HIV and AIDS persons and their families, in particular destitute orphans. That the medical model which is currently used to determine eligibility of accessing Disability Grant is inefficient, as it results in number of people being marginalised from social assistance, in particular the Disability Grant. The study analyses the underlying conditions that exacerbates the spread of HIV and AIDS in South Africa. Secondly that the lack of a specific scheme catering for HIV and AIDS people, and the institutional capacity to deliver the social assistance programmes effectively must be strengthened. The study ends by addressing the proposed reforms which are aimed at achieving a better integrated system where measures aimed at preventing human damage, for example employment creation policies, health, safety regulat ion, preventative health care, and remedying or repairing damage, for example reskilling/retraining, labour market and social integration, should be adopted as an integral part of the social security system, alongside compensatory measures The underlying objectives are to limit the growing dependence on social assistance from the state, and at the same time to increase the effectiveness of the social assistance scheme for the target population.