In a move that will see an additional two million South Africans receiving social grants, Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya on Friday announced that people earning more than R2000 will soon qualify for welfare assistance.

Addressing the National Assembly during the department's budget vote debate, Skweyiya said the current means test, where people earning more than R1500 a month did not qualify for grants, had kept many people out of the social security system.

"Consequently, we have agreed to work towards the removal of the archaic means test on certain grant types. This will have the consequence of removing the urban/rural qualification divide whilst raising the threshold to R2200 per month for child support, old age and disability grants," he said.

The changes were meant to assist the poor to cope with current economic challenges characterised by high inflation and rising food prices.

"All these reforms in our social security system will go a long way towards widening the social security safety net and may see the entry into the system of two million deserving people," he said.

The new measures would be implemented in phases.

"This exercise will however, pose a fiscal challenge which may require either a gradual phasing out of the means test or reconsideration of the tax threshold levels," Skweyiya said.

The department had set aside R124-million this year to assist those worse affected by the escalation of food prices.

"In response to poverty and vulnerability in the context of raising food prices, we will do what ever is within our reach to ensure that every qualifying and vulnerable citizen receives the social relief of distress grant," he said.

Sapa