Recipients of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, also known as the R350 grant, have been waiting in anticipation for the promised increase of the grant amount.
It was announced earlier this month during the 2023 State of Nation Address (SONA) that permanent social grants distributed by the South African Social Security (SASSA) will be increased in the coming year.
The President explained that the increase in social grants forms part of the government's effort to mitigate the impact of the rising cost of living in South Africa, stating that the increases will help to "cushion the poor against rising inflation.”
Social grants serve as a lifeline for millions of South Africa's poorest and most vulnerable citizens., with the SRD grant being one grant in particular that citizens are looking forward to seeing an increase in.
Ramaphosa also revealed more than 25 million people receive some sort of income support in the form of social grants. The cost of this social support is equivalent to around 60% of the country’s budget.
Sassa and the Department of Social Development (DSD) is well aware that R350 is not necessarily a lot of money for people to get by on, considering the sky-high prices of food, petrol, accommodation, etc.
Although the increase in the SRD grant is welcomed, it is also overdue.
Brenton van Vrede, Executive Manager of Grants Administration at SASSA has stated, during a recent Parliamentary Committee Meeting, that the DSD and SASSA would've hoped that the grant be increased to R400 by now, but the entities are bound by budget constraints and funding that has been made available to Sassa to provide the grant.
Finance Minister, Enoch Godongwna, is set to deliver the 2023 National Budget Speech on 22 February 2023, which is hopefully when the details of government spending on grants will be addressed.
Permanent grants distributed by SASSA include the Older Persons Grant, Disability Grant, Child Support grant, Foster Care Grant, Grant in Aid, War Veterans Grant, and the Care Dependency grant.
