SRD grant increase an insulting pittance

The statement contends that the R20 increase to the SRD grant is an 'insulting pittance' that fails to account for a 20% real-term decrease in grant value since 2020. It highlights that the grant remains below the R760 monthly minimum energy intake cost and argues that budget cuts from R44 billion in 2022 to R33.6 billion in 2024 create systemic barriers and high exclusion errors, affecting approximately 50% of eligible persons. The authors advocate for the implementation of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) to meet constitutional obligations and stimulate economic growth.

• The announced R20 monthly increase to the SRD grant, effective 1 April, is insufficient to offset inflation since 2020, resulting in a real-term value decrease of approximately 20% for recipients.
• To merely stabilize the grant's 2020 value based on food inflation, the amount would need to be between R440 and R467 in 2024, requiring a minimum increase of R90.
• The budget for the grant has been reduced from R44 billion in 2022 to R33.6 billion in 2024, which the authors argue leads to systemic exclusion errors affecting roughly 50% of eligible people.
• 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.

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} }