SUBMISSION ON AMENDMENTS TO THE REGULATIONS RELATING TO COVID-19 SOCIAL RELIEF OF DISTRESS ISSUED IN TERMS OF THE SOCIAL ASSISTANCE ACT (Regulation Gazette No. 48056, 14 February 2023)

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) and the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI) submitted a critique of the proposed amendments to the Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant regulations. They argue that the amendments are insufficient as they only extend the grant's expiry date to March 2024 without addressing systemic issues such as the inadequate grant value, exclusionary verification processes, digital barriers to application, and a restrictive budget cap.

• The SRD grant value of R350 is described as arbitrary and eroded by inflation. The IEJ and SERI recommend an immediate increase to at least R413 to account for inflation since 2020, with a long-term goal of reaching the food poverty line (FPL).
• The current income eligibility threshold of R624 is considered baseless as it no longer reflects the FPL, which is now R663. The authors propose raising and indexing the means-test to the upper-bound poverty line (UBPL) of R1417 to ensure all people living in poverty are eligible.
• The verification process, particularly bank verification, is criticized for treating all deposits as income, regardless of whether they are personal earnings. The authors argue that outdated government databases may unfairly exclude up to one third of applicants.
• The authors oppose the budget cap established in sub-regulation 11, which allows the government to limit payments when funds are depleted. They argue this is inconsistent with the South African Constitution's requirement for a needs-based approach to social assistance.
• The 'online-only' application process is identified as a barrier to access for those with digital illiteracy or lack of internet access. The submission recommends allowing physical applications and addressing the costs of data and mobile phones.
• The submission strongly opposes the work conditionality clause 2.(f), which makes applicants ineligible if they 'unreasonably refuse' employment or education. The authors argue this clause is coercive, difficult to enforce, and risks supporting exploitative employment.

APA

Institute for Economic Justice (2023). SUBMISSION ON AMENDMENTS TO THE REGULATIONS RELATING TO COVID-19 SOCIAL RELIEF OF DISTRESS ISSUED IN TERMS OF THE SOCIAL ASSISTANCE ACT (Regulation Gazette No. 48056, 14 February 2023). https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/iej-seri_submission-srd-grant-regulations_7-march-2023.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Economic Justice. SUBMISSION ON AMENDMENTS TO THE REGULATIONS RELATING TO COVID-19 SOCIAL RELIEF OF DISTRESS ISSUED IN TERMS OF THE SOCIAL ASSISTANCE ACT (Regulation Gazette No. 48056, 14 February 2023). 2023. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/iej-seri_submission-srd-grant-regulations_7-march-2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Institute for Economic Justice |title=SUBMISSION ON AMENDMENTS TO THE REGULATIONS RELATING TO COVID-19 SOCIAL RELIEF OF DISTRESS ISSUED IN TERMS OF THE SOCIAL ASSISTANCE ACT (Regulation Gazette No. 48056, 14 February 2023) |date=7 March 2023 |url=https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/iej-seri_submission-srd-grant-regulations_7-march-2023.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{instituteforeconomicjustice2023submission, author = {{Institute for Economic Justice}}, title = {{SUBMISSION ON AMENDMENTS TO THE REGULATIONS RELATING TO COVID-19 SOCIAL RELIEF OF DISTRESS ISSUED IN TERMS OF THE SOCIAL ASSISTANCE ACT (Regulation Gazette No. 48056, 14 February 2023)}}, publisher = {Institute for Economic Justice}, year = {2023}, month = mar, url = {https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/iej-seri_submission-srd-grant-regulations_7-march-2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }