Disability benefits protect against lost income for South Africans living with Schizophrenia.

Little is known about the economic impact of disability grants for people living with schizophrenia in low- and middle- income countries. In this brief report, we show that receipt of disability benefits is significantly associated (ß = 0.105, p < 0.0001) with increased household and personal wealth in large sample of people living with schizophrenia in South Africa (n = 1154). This study provides further support for the use of disability grants as a mechanism to protect people living with schizophrenia and their families against the economic costs associated with schizophrenia.