The Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant is a critical relief measure for millions of unemployed South Africans. The grant allows beneficiaries to purchase basic goods and services every month.
The amount of money received by beneficiaries of the SRD grant is R350 every month. This amount of money received by grant beneficiaries has not changed since the grant was first introduced in 2020.
In a recent question to parliament, it was revealed that the government wanted to increase the amount of money received by beneficiaries of the R350 grant. However, the grant has not been increased.
Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu said the government was unsuccessful in their attempt to increase the value of the SRD grant. They explained that this was due to fiscal constraints.
The Department of Social Development (DSD) is concerned that the grant’s value has not increased since it was first introduced in 2020. This is as the buying power of R350 has decreased due to inflation.
The value [of the grant] has remained unchanged and is not keeping pace with inflation which directly translates to the value of the grant decreasing every year as the inflation increases.
It was revealed that the DSD had submitted a proposal to the National Treasury to increase the value of the SRD grant. However, the proposal was not favourably considered due to fiscal constraints.
SRD Grant Extension
Concerns were also raised about when the SRD grant will come to an end. Currently, the SRD grant is classified as a temporary grant and beneficiaries will stop receiving SRD grant payments after March 2024.
The DSD says no agreements have been made regarding the future of the SRD grant.
An agreement on the future of the COVID-19 SRD has not as yet been reached, nor what should replace the grant when the temporary arrangement comes to an end.
The department has assured beneficiaries that they are exploring several options to introduce a “sustainable permanent intervention”. This intervention will be aimed at addressing the needs of the working-age population.
If you are hoping to receive a Sassa social grant you should be running a Sassa status check on the official Sassa website. When you perform the Sassa status check you will receive information on which months you will be paid and which months you won't.
