SRD court case synopsis

This briefing by the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) and #PayTheGrants (#PTG) outlines a legal challenge against the regulations governing South Africa's Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant. The applicants argue that the grant's eligibility criteria, application processes, and monetary value are unlawful, irrational, and violate the constitutional right to social assistance, resulting in the exclusion of approximately half of the intended beneficiaries.

• The applicants contend that the SRD grant's regulations and administration exclude a vast number of eligible people. While researchers estimate at least 16 million people should be eligible, fewer than 8 million received payment in May 2023.
• The current bank verification process is criticized for treating all deposits as 'income,' regardless of their nature. This includes non-regular payments such as child maintenance, money held for others, or ad hoc survival assistance from family and friends.
• The application process is restricted to online submissions, which the applicants argue creates an irrational barrier for the most vulnerable citizens who lack digital literacy or access to devices and connectivity.
• The verification systems using government databases (including SARS, NSFAS, and UIF) are described as unreliable and outdated, potentially excluding up to one-third of eligible applicants due to erroneous data.
• The appeals process is deemed insufficient because it prohibits the submission of new evidence, making it nearly impossible for applicants to correct erroneous rejections. Between July and October 2022, success rates for appeals were only 0.5-0.83%.
• The grant's value has remained static at R350 since 2020, leading to a real-terms reduction in purchasing power due to inflation. When accounting for food inflation (which exceeded 11%), the grant's real value dropped to R273 by 2023.
• The income threshold for eligibility (R624) is described as irrational and retrogressive because it is based on the 2021 food poverty line (FPL), while the current FPL has risen to R663.
• There is a systemic failure to pay approved beneficiaries, with the payment rate dropping to approximately 86% in March 2023. This is partly attributed to failures in 'cash send' and Post Bank systems, affecting 'unbanked' individuals.

APA

Institute for Economic Justice (n.d.). SRD court case synopsis. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/SRD-court-case-synopsis-1.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Economic Justice. SRD court case synopsis. n.d. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/SRD-court-case-synopsis-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Economic Justice |title=SRD court case synopsis |url=https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/SRD-court-case-synopsis-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforeconomicjusticendsrd, author = {{Institute for Economic Justice}}, title = {{SRD court case synopsis}}, institution = {Institute for Economic Justice}, url = {https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/SRD-court-case-synopsis-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }