SRD grant increase an insulting pittance

The Institute for Economic Justice and partner organizations criticize a R20 monthly increase to the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant starting 1 April, arguing it fails to address inflation, food precarity, and systemic exclusion of eligible beneficiaries.

• The announced R20 monthly increase to the SRD grant, effective 1 April, is described as insufficient to counter four years of zero inflationary increases or to meet the minimum energy intake cost of R760 per month for 2023 as calculated by Stats SA.
• The grant's value has decreased by approximately 20% in real terms since its 2020 introduction because the R350 amount was not adjusted for inflation. To stabilize the 2020 value based on food inflation, the grant would need to be between R440 and R467 in 2024, requiring a minimum increase of R90.
• Budget allocations for the grant have declined in nominal terms from R44 billion in 2022 (for 10.5 million beneficiaries) to R36 billion in 2023 and R33.6 billion in 2024. There is concern that these reductions lead to exclusionary practices and limit who qualifies for the grant.
• The SRD grant suffers from systemic exclusion errors estimated at approximately 50% of eligible persons, caused by barriers in application, approval, and appeal processes linked to inadequate budget allocation.
• The document advocates for the introduction of a Universal Basic Income (UBI), citing over 50 global pilots that show UBI generates jobs and economic growth while meeting basic needs.

APA

Institute for Economic Justice (2024). SRD grant increase an insulting pittance. https://iej.org.za/press-room/statements/ubic-statement_srd-grant-increase-an-insulting-pittance_15-march-2024/

Chicago

Institute for Economic Justice. SRD grant increase an insulting pittance. 2024. https://iej.org.za/press-room/statements/ubic-statement_srd-grant-increase-an-insulting-pittance_15-march-2024/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Institute for Economic Justice |title=SRD grant increase an insulting pittance |date=15 March 2024 |url=https://iej.org.za/press-room/statements/ubic-statement_srd-grant-increase-an-insulting-pittance_15-march-2024/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{instituteforeconomicjustice2024srd, author = {{Institute for Economic Justice}}, title = {{SRD grant increase an insulting pittance}}, publisher = {Institute for Economic Justice}, year = {2024}, month = mar, url = {https://iej.org.za/press-room/statements/ubic-statement_srd-grant-increase-an-insulting-pittance_15-march-2024/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }