Submission on the draft Social Relief of Distress grant regulations

The IEJ criticizes the 2026 draft SRD grant regulations for ignoring long-standing systemic flaws, such as the inadequate grant value of R370 and restrictive online-only applications. While welcoming the extension of the grant to March 2027, the IEJ warns that this period expires before the planned introduction of the Basic Income Support (BIS) policy in March 2027. The submission advocates for a transition to a universal basic income, the use of self-declarations over inaccurate database verifications, and an increase in the grant value to meet the food poverty line of R855.

• The IEJ identifies several systemic flaws in the SRD grant that remain unaddressed in the 2026 draft amendments, including an online-only application process that excludes those without internet access and a grant value of R370 that is significantly lower than the R855 food poverty line.
• The current means-test threshold of R624 is considered insufficient as it excludes individuals living in food poverty.
• The IEJ argues that the extension of the SRD grant to March 2027 is insufficient because the Basic Income Support (BIS) policy is only scheduled for presentation to Cabinet in March 2027, meaning the regulations will expire before the new policy is introduced.
• The submission criticizes the reliance on 'bank verification' and government databases (UIF, SARS, and NSFAS) for eligibility, stating they are outdated and inaccurate, and instead proposes the use of self-declarations with random audits.

APA

Institute for Economic Justice (2026). Submission on the draft Social Relief of Distress grant regulations. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IEJ-Submission-on-amended-regs-2026-1-1.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Economic Justice. Submission on the draft Social Relief of Distress grant regulations. 2026. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IEJ-Submission-on-amended-regs-2026-1-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Institute for Economic Justice |title=Submission on the draft Social Relief of Distress grant regulations |date=6 March 2026 |url=https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IEJ-Submission-on-amended-regs-2026-1-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{instituteforeconomicjustice2026submission, author = {{Institute for Economic Justice}}, title = {{Submission on the draft Social Relief of Distress grant regulations}}, publisher = {Institute for Economic Justice}, year = {2026}, month = mar, url = {https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IEJ-Submission-on-amended-regs-2026-1-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }