Struggling households in Ekurhuleni eligible for indigent relief program

The City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) has encouraged financially-struggling households in the metro to register for its Indigent Relief Programme at local customer care centres.

To qualify for the indigent relief programme, households must register or be officially deemed indigent.

Properties with a municipal value of R500 000 or less automatically qualify for indigent status, while properties valued up to R1 500 000, as per the City’s valuation roll, can register for a 36-month reviewable period, writes the Kempton Express.

WHAT IS AN INDIGENT?

An indigent is an individual or household that is unable to meet basic needs due to financial hardship.

An indigent relief programme is therefore a social support initiative designed to assist these financially-disadvantaged individuals or households by providing various forms of aid.

The CoE’s initiative is designed to assist residents who are having difficulty affording essential services such as sanitation, water, refuse removal, and electricity.

The programme provides a comprehensive social-support package aimed at reducing this financial stress and improving living standards for eligible households.

Benefits of the programme include:

• 100% rebate on assessment rates
• Free refuse removal services
• 50kWh of free electricity per month
• 6kl of free water, and sewer services monthly
• Free indigent burial services for registered and deemed indigents
• Special rates on emergency services like ambulance and firefighting

TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE PROGRAMME, APPLICANTS MUST:

• Reside in the CoE
• Be over 18 years old (including financially dependent minors)
• Hold South African citizenship or a permanent residence certificate
• Have a combined monthly household income less than twice the monthly minimum wage for Area A domestic workers (currently R8,134.40)

Applicants must also submit various documents, depending on their category, including copies of IDs, birth certificates for dependents, latest municipal account statement, and proof of income (or lack thereof, such as SASSA pension statements or employment verification.)