ERIN TORKELSON

  • About Me
  • Research
  • Teaching
  • Public Scholarship
    • Covid-19 & Grants
    • Debt & Grants
    • Net1's Payment System
    • Land & Housing
  • Events
  • Contact
  • About Me
  • Research
  • Teaching
  • Public Scholarship
    • Covid-19 & Grants
    • Debt & Grants
    • Net1's Payment System
    • Land & Housing
  • Events
  • Contact

Current Project

debt and social grants

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The Black Sash, Deborah James, David Neves and Erin Torkelson

REDUCING THE COST OF CREDIT TO ADULT GRANTEES FROM 75%/6 MONTHS TO 20%/YEAR;
BANNING LENDING ON CHILDREN'S AND TEMPORARY GRANTS.
With the Black Sash, we demonstrated how debt continued to be foisted on grant recipients, even after social grants were (mostly) paid by the Post Office. We found that in spite of such progressive changes, social grantees remain a significant market for money-lenders. Creditors use government grants as collateral for credit because they are very regular and secure incomes. They also charge extremely high (though legal) interest rates based on the erroneous perception that grant recipients are a "risky" market. Given these findings, we are advising the National Credit Regulator, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Social Development, and the South African Social Security Agency to protect social grantees from reckless lending.

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Report

View our report: "​​Social Grants: Challenging Reckless Lending"
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Webinar

Check out our report launch with discussants from the National Credit Regulator (NCR)
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Policy

Meeting with DSD, DTI, SASSA and the NCR to protect grantees from predatory lending

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

NEWS ARTICLES


GROUND UP    ​Erin Torkelson, Deborah James & David Neves, "LEGAL BUT RECKLESS." 29 OCTOBER 2020.

​INTERVIEWS


UWC NEWS     MYOLISI GOPHE, "LENDING TO SOCIAL GRANTEES IS EXPLOITATIVE." 2 NOVEMBER 2020.
DAILY MAVERICK     UFRIEDA HO, "THE DEBT TRAP FOR SOCIAL GRANT RECIPIENTS." 22 OCTOBER 2020.
VOICE OF THE CAPE     ERIN TORKELSON, "THE BURNING ISSUE." 29 SEPTEMBER 2020. ​
CAPE ARGUS     MWANGI GITHATHU, "LOAN SHARKS FEASTING ON THE POOREST." 20 SEPTEMBER 2020.
GROUND UP     JAMES STENT, "REPORT SHOWS HOW LENDERS PREY ON GRANT RECIPIENTS." 16 SEPTEMBER 2020.

PRESENTATIONS


STELLENBOSCH LEGAL CLINIC     ERIN TORKELSON, "CHALLENGING RECKLESS LENDING." 26 NOVEMBER 2020.
DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY     ERIN TORKELSON, "CHALLENGING RECKLESS LENDING." 17 NOVEMBER 2020.
BLACK SASH WEBINAR     ERIN TORKELSON, "CHALLENGING RECKLESS LENDING." 10 SEPTEMBER 2020.
BLACK SASH TEACH-IN     ERIN TORKELSON, "CHALLENGING RECKLESS LENDING." 26 AUGUST 2020.
NATIONAL CREDIT REGULATOR    ERIN TORKELSON. "POST OFFICE GRANT PAYMENT AND DEBT." 6 MARCH 2020.

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