Saving Rands, Costing Lives: It’s Time for Universal Basic Income

The Institute for Economic Justice criticizes the South African government for prioritizing fiscal restraint over human wellbeing, specifically citing the removal of 35,000 people from social grants to achieve savings. The statement calls for the transition of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant into a permanent, non-means-tested universal basic income set at or above the food poverty line to protect vulnerable populations from rising food costs and economic instability.

• The South African National Treasury has implemented a review process that resulted in 35,000 people being removed from social grants to achieve "savings", often due to administrative barriers rather than confirmed ineligibility.
• Rising food costs have outpaced social grant increases; in April, the cost of a basic nutritious diet for a child rose by over R30, while the annual Child Support Grant increase was only R20.
• The proposed basic income policy should transition the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant into a permanent provision for working-age adults, eliminate means-testing and automated verification, and ensure the amount meets at least the food poverty line.
• The document asserts that the current economic strategy prioritizes fiscal restraint for financial markets over human wellbeing, suggesting that wealth taxes and resource redistribution should instead finance social protection.

APA

Institute for Economic Justice (2026). Saving Rands, Costing Lives: It’s Time for Universal Basic Income. https://iej.org.za/press-room/statements/saving-rands-costing-lives-its-time-for-universal-basic-income/

Chicago

Institute for Economic Justice. Saving Rands, Costing Lives: It’s Time for Universal Basic Income. 2026. https://iej.org.za/press-room/statements/saving-rands-costing-lives-its-time-for-universal-basic-income/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Institute for Economic Justice |title=Saving Rands, Costing Lives: It’s Time for Universal Basic Income |date=26 May 2026 |url=https://iej.org.za/press-room/statements/saving-rands-costing-lives-its-time-for-universal-basic-income/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{instituteforeconomicjustice2026saving, author = {{Institute for Economic Justice}}, title = {{Saving Rands, Costing Lives: It’s Time for Universal Basic Income}}, publisher = {Institute for Economic Justice}, year = {2026}, month = may, url = {https://iej.org.za/press-room/statements/saving-rands-costing-lives-its-time-for-universal-basic-income/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }