STATEMENT SRD appeal hearing set for 25 August, social assistance for millions at stake

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) and #PayTheGrants are challenging the South African government's Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant system in the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) on 25 August 2026. This follows a 2025 High Court ruling that found the grant system to be unconstitutionally exclusionary, specifically regarding its online-only application and flawed verification processes.

• The North Gauteng High Court ruled on 23 January 2025 that the SRD grant is not a temporary measure and that the government's online-only application system, bank verification, and database checks are irrational, illegal, and unlawful. The court found these measures were designed to exclude eligible people and that the government must create a plan to increase the grant's value and means-test threshold.
• The government is accused of maintaining an exclusionary system where the grant value (R370) and means-test threshold (R624) remain frozen despite the food poverty line being R855 per month. The IEJ asserts that the government is in breach of section 27 of the Constitution, which guarantees access to social security and appropriate social assistance for those unable to support themselves.
• National Treasury has allegedly used the SRD grant as a bargaining chip, with Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana suggesting in 2025 that cutting the SRD would have prevented a VAT hike. Furthermore, Treasury is reportedly pressuring SASSA to apply the same struck-down verification methods to grants for children, older persons, and persons with disabilities.
• Economic conditions in South Africa are deteriorating, with unemployment reaching 43.7% in Q1 2026 and youth unemployment (ages 15–24) at 60.9%. Inflationary pressures are high, with headline CPI at 4% in April 2026, while housing, utilities, transport, and financial services inflation range from 4.9% to 5.7%.

APA

Institute for Economic Justice (2026). STATEMENT SRD appeal hearing set for 25 August, social assistance for millions at stake. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/STATEMENT-_-SRD-appeal-hearing-set-for-25-August-social-assistance-for-millions-at-stake-18-June-2026.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Economic Justice. STATEMENT SRD appeal hearing set for 25 August, social assistance for millions at stake. 2026. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/STATEMENT-_-SRD-appeal-hearing-set-for-25-August-social-assistance-for-millions-at-stake-18-June-2026.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Institute for Economic Justice |title=STATEMENT SRD appeal hearing set for 25 August, social assistance for millions at stake |date=18 June 2026 |url=https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/STATEMENT-_-SRD-appeal-hearing-set-for-25-August-social-assistance-for-millions-at-stake-18-June-2026.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{instituteforeconomicjustice2026statement, author = {{Institute for Economic Justice}}, title = {{STATEMENT SRD appeal hearing set for 25 August, social assistance for millions at stake}}, publisher = {Institute for Economic Justice}, year = {2026}, month = jun, url = {https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/STATEMENT-_-SRD-appeal-hearing-set-for-25-August-social-assistance-for-millions-at-stake-18-June-2026.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }