Children of poverty and child benefits in South Africa

A large proportion of people living in South Africa, and particularly in rural areas, still live in poverty and the situation is now getting worse because of HIV / AIDS. Poverty is usually defined either in absolute or relative terms. In absolute terms, poverty reflects an inability to afford an adequate standard of consumption. In this instance, a poverty line is considered, reflecting an income level sufficient to afford adequate consumption, as a point to determine who is poor and who is not. Relative poverty refers to the individual's or group's lack of resources when compared to that of other members of that society. Having brought these two concepts together, the Taylor Committee defines poverty as the inability of individuals, households or entire communities to command sufficient resources to satisfy a socially acceptable minimum standard of living. In the Report that was prepared for the office of the Executive Deputy President and the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Poverty and Inequality in South Africa (13 May 1998), it is stated that poverty can be defined as the inability to attain a minimum standard of living, measured in terms of basic consumption needs or the income required to satisfy them.