The R350 Grant Period Has Been Extended. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced the extension of Social Relief of Distress (SRD) R350 grant to be valid and paid until March 2025.
The R350 Grant Period Has Been Extended
During his address to parliament on medium-term fiscal policy, Godongwana stated:
In May 2020, the SRD grant was introduced as a short-term solution to assist those hardest hit by lockdown measures. The ongoing debate over the future of is entangled with challenging funding decisions and compromises.
Since April, millions of people who used to receive grants have not received approval from the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), causing a drastic decline in approvals.
In April, the number of people receiving benefits dropped to just under 4.8 million from 10.9 million in March, as reported by SASSA. Around this time, the number of inquiries experienced a significant decrease, from approximately 15.8 million in March to 8.1 million in April. SASSA responded to a congressional inquiry by stating that the number of applications in August was slightly over 12 million, with 7.4 million approvals.
See also: Sassa Grant Payment Dates For December 2023
The decline has raised concern for the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ). During a presentation earlier this month, co-founder Neil Coleman reported that almost one-third of the SRD grant budget has remained unused since March. Coleman argues that overspending is a serious issue because it directly affects the most vulnerable South Africans who are on the verge of poverty and hunger. The R350 resource threshold, strict bank verification requirements, and online-only application process were cited as reasons for excluding potential beneficiaries.
The DSD introduced his grant budget cap of 10.5 million in March. In the 2022/23 budget, they allocated R44 billion for R350 grants with R10.5 million being provided in monthly grant payments.
See also: SASSA Gold Cards Will Remain Valid in December and Beyond
Following a lawsuit filed against DSD Minister Lindiwe Zulu, a court set the eligibility threshold in response to civil society group Black Sash’s challenge of “unfair” and “arbitrary” regulations, with representation from the Center for Applied Legal Studies (CALS). In August, the amount increased to R624 per month. You are rendering millions of recipients useless. There is proof of a deliberate and intentional level.
Abraham Faker stated that there are still millions of people in need of social support.
A number of civil society groups, such as Black Sash, YEI, and CALS, have urged the government to permanently implement the grant and increase it to at least R624. Black Sash has received numerous inquiries today from individuals seeking guidance on how to verify their credentials, as stated in a press release.
See also: How to Update Your SASSA Bank Details for the R350 Grant
Regrettably, the funding has not reached those who need it the most because of administrative challenges, strict eligibility criteria, and outdated databases, resulting in exclusions.
Apply online for Sassa Social Relief Grant
Caregivers without their own grants will need to also apply for the special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant.