UBIC statement: Election scorecard prompts positive responses and policy commitments

The Universal Basic Income Coalition (UBIC) reports that its Basic Income Election Scorecard prompted several political parties, most notably the ANC, to clarify or expand their commitments to a universal and redistributive basic income grant (BIG) ahead of the election.

• The ANC issued a statement committing to a universal and redistributive basic income grant (BIG) if it remains in government after the election. This commitment involves progressively expanding the value and coverage of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant and includes specific pledges to finalize a BIG policy within two years, reject conditionalities, link values to poverty lines, and ensure the BIG does not replace existing public services or social security like the Child Support Grant (CSG).
• The UBIC Basic Income Election Scorecard, which graded major parties from A to F, led the UDM and GOOD to adopt additional policies or statements affirming their commitment to a universal basic income grant (UBIG). In the case of the GOOD party, this included a commitment to remove unfair barriers to social grant access.
• UBIC asserts that implementing these commitments requires a shift to a developmental macroeconomic policy and a departure from austerity measures. Current austerity has resulted in approximately 6 million eligible people (about 50%) being excluded from the SRD grant monthly, alongside issues such as pay point closures and limited SASSA capacity.
• UBIC argues that a universal basic income grant in South Africa would stimulate local economies by boosting productivity and consumption, which would subsequently increase GDP and government revenue.

APA

Institute for Economic Justice (2024). UBIC statement: Election scorecard prompts positive responses and policy commitments. https://iej.org.za/press-room/statements/ubic-statement-election-scorecard-prompts-positive-responses-and-policy-commitments/

Chicago

Institute for Economic Justice. UBIC statement: Election scorecard prompts positive responses and policy commitments. 2024. https://iej.org.za/press-room/statements/ubic-statement-election-scorecard-prompts-positive-responses-and-policy-commitments/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Institute for Economic Justice |title=UBIC statement: Election scorecard prompts positive responses and policy commitments |date=24 May 2024 |url=https://iej.org.za/press-room/statements/ubic-statement-election-scorecard-prompts-positive-responses-and-policy-commitments/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{instituteforeconomicjustice2024ubic, author = {{Institute for Economic Justice}}, title = {{UBIC statement: Election scorecard prompts positive responses and policy commitments}}, publisher = {Institute for Economic Justice}, year = {2024}, month = may, url = {https://iej.org.za/press-room/statements/ubic-statement-election-scorecard-prompts-positive-responses-and-policy-commitments/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }