This paper draws from findings of a 2-year longitudinal study evaluating the Department of Social Development (DSD)’s services in the 21 ISRDP and URP nodes. The findings show that members of communities in the nodes agree with DSD’s identification of children, women, the elderly and the disabled as key vulnerable groups. However community members identify additional vulnerable groups, of which the unemployed is a critical category. In the context of structural employment, the unemployed are highlighted as a category requiring systematic social support. Child support, old age and disability grants are crucial for the day to day survival of many households, especially in rural areas. However, the effectiveness of these grants is reduced because grants are shared within extended households that have limited other sources of income. There is currently both a very significant “missing middle” that is not targeted for systematic support, and a situation where the impact of existing grants is being diluted. Recommendations include considering grants at a household rather than individual level, and considering the provision of universal rather than targeted grants to respond to the crisis of survival of poor households in South Africa.