This section consists of questions related to the Disability Cash Transfer and poverty. These questions are divided following the sequence of the four objectives and research questions of the study.
The questionnaires were given to beneficiaries of the Disability Cash Transfer and former beneficiaries of the DCT. The estimated number of beneficiaries that was targeted was one hundred and thirty-five (135), however, the researcher managed to get seventy-three respondents, which was 53%. All the respondents were from different wards around the Nqutu Local Municipality. On the other hand, eight participants responded to the interviews.
4.3.1 Research question 1: What are the effects of the Disability Cash Transfer on the beneficiaries at Nqutu Local Municipality towards poverty reduction?
4.3.1.1 What are the benefits of receiving DCT as a means to reduce poverty at home?
This question was asked to identify how the DCT aided beneficiaries in a way that helps them alleviate poverty.
Based on the responses of respondents, the benefits of receiving the Disability Cash Transfer to beneficiaries’ lives involve the ability to buy food for themselves and their families. With the help from the Disability Cash Transfer, respondents reported the ability to build shelters or houses for themselves, send their children to school, as well as their grandchildren. As depicted in table 4.3, 49 to 58 years old is the highest age respondents who benefit from the DCT. This could mean that some of them have children and grandchildren they support.
Respondents also said they benefit from receiving the DCT because they can fulfil their needs. However, some of the respondents said even though the money helps it is too small to cover all their needs: “the benefits are very small because the grant is very small and it doesn’t help much”. Do you think there are effects of the Disability Cash Transfer on the people at Nqutu Local Municipality?
The researcher wanted to know whether the Disability Cash Transfer has effects on the beneficiaries’ lives. If there are effects, the researcher wished to know what kind of effects there are.
56 Table 4. 10: Respondents` responses on whether DCT has effects or not
Options Males Females Frequency (f) [Total sample size=73]
Percentage (%)
[Frequency as a percentage of total sample size]
Yes 28 37 67 91.78%
No 1 1 2 2.74%
Maybe 3 2 5 6.85%
Not sure 0 1 1 1.37%
Total 32 41 73 100%
Based on table 4.10, most of the respondents agreed that the Disability Cash Transfer does have effects at the Nqutu local Municipality. There were 67 respondents who said “Yes”, representing 91.78% of the total sample. Respondents said because they are still able to survive the severe toll of poverty and take care of their families that show that the DCT does have effects on their lives. Some of the respondents said, “Disability grant reduces begging especially in homes where no one is working” and that, “with disability grant we can pay debts”. Only 2 respondents, representing 2.74%, said that the DCT does not seem to have an effect on people: “The disability grant is not enough to cover the costs of living of people with disabilities; therefore, this money does not have any effects in our lives”. The number of respondents who said “Maybe” was 5, which were 6.85%. That means that the DCT has effects or maybe it does not, depending on a person`s situation. One percent of the respondents (1.37%) were not sure if there are effects on not. “Yes” as an answer was represented at a higher state meaning that the DCT does have an effect in the lives of individuals living with disabilities as well as their family members. Hence, in the light of the results above, it can be stated that the DCT have visible effects as one of the tools to alleviate poverty.
57 4.3.1.2 Basic needs required to maintain the state of life for every disabled individual or
household affected by disability.
Table 4. 11: Respondents` basic needs to maintain life Basic needs Aware Mostly
aware
Unaware Least aware
Frequency (f)
[Total sample size=73]
Percentage (%) [Frequency as a percentage of total sample size]
Healthy food 15 58 0 0 73 100%
Clean water 14 58 0 1 73 100%
Shelter 14 58 0 0 72 36.99%
Care givers 10 33 12 15 70 95.89%
Medical attention
13 58 2 0 73 100%
Other 3 3 0 1 7 9.59%
Table 4.11 demonstrates respondents’ choices in terms of which type of need they appeared to be aware of, mostly aware of, unaware of, and least aware of. Table 4.11 exhibits the total number of respondents who responded in each category. Out of four options, the respondents chose the “Aware” and “Mostly aware” options more often compared to “Unaware” and
“Least aware” options. That means respondents responses are respectively just about similar when it comes to the basic needs presented in the table. The table shows that there is no need that is bigger than the other or more significant than the other. People living with disabilities have similar needs as anyone else that needs to be taken of and attended to at all time especially medical attention.
58 4.3.1.3 Has the Disability Cash Transfer assisted people at Nqutu Local Municipality
reduce poverty?
The researcher researched the views of the beneficiaries of the grant regarding whether the DCT assist them or not in their homes to sustain life.
Table 4.12: Respondents` choices on whether the Disability Cash Transfer has assisted people at Nqutu Local Municipality reduce poverty.
Has DCT assisted people with disabilities
Frequency (f) Percentage (%)
Yes 67 91.78%
No 0 0%
Maybe 2 2.74%
Not sure 4 5.48%
Total 73 100%
The respondents were asked whether the DCT has assisted them as a means to reduce poverty in the community. For respondents to give their opinions, they were given options to choose from. These options were “Yes”, “No”, “Maybe” and “Not sure”.
Table 4.12 and Figure 1 represent the number of respondents’ responses per option. Almost all of the (67), 91.78% of respondents said “Yes” to the Disability Cash Transfer being assistive, and (0), 0% of respondents said the DCT has not assisted people. Only two respondents (2.74%) said that maybe the DCT assisted them and only four respondents (5.48%) were not sure if the DCT assisted people in the community. Most respondents emphasised that the DCT has assisted a lot of people, especially those living alone at Nqutu, and without it many families would be victims of severe poverty.
One of the respondents said, “DCT does not help other families because they are being robbed by their care givers or guardians…”, and “Others don`t get their money full which makes it hard for them to see any change.”
The reason behind the high frequency of people who said yes is that the unemployed population at NLM is very high. This includes children at school, pensioners and people
59 living with disabilities. Thus, this ranked the DCT up as one of the social grants that assist people and households.
Figure 1: Respondents` views on whether DCT has assisted people at Nqutu (NLM, 2016).
Most of the respondents emphasized how important and meaningful the Disability Cash Transfer has been in their lives. They also stated that life became very difficult if one was removed from being a beneficiary of the DCT.
4.3.1.4 Have you ever heard of the Disability Cash Transfer before around in your community?
Finding this kind of information would help the researcher understand whether the availability of the DCT is communicated well to people who need the DCT by SASSA officials. Another reason was to find out if Nqutu community has knowledge of the availability of the DCT to people with disabilities, either temporarily or permanent. Table 4.14 depicts the findings from respondents.
Table 4.13: Respondents’ replies on whether they heard about DCT around Nqutu or not Respondents who have heard of the DCT around
Nqutu
Frequency (f)
Percentage (%)
Yes 63 86.30%
No 10 13.10%
91.78%
0% 2.74% 5.48%
0.00%
20.00%
40.00%
60.00%
80.00%
100.00%
YES NO MAYBE NOT SURE
Percentage of total sample size
Respondents` options