News24.com | Govt still without a plan for R350 social relief grant as agreement comes to an end in 2024

Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu.

• It’s unclear what will happen when the R350 social relief grant is suspended in 2024.
• The government will continue paying the R350 grant until March next year.
• The Department of Social Development is exploring options to introduce a more sustainable permanent intervention.

Destitute South Africans will receive a R350 relief grant until March next year, but their fate will hang in the balance when the grant is suspended.

An agreement on the future of the Covid-19 social relief of distress (SRD) or what should replace it when the temporary arrangement comes to an end has not as yet been reached.

This is according to Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu.

In response to a written parliamentary question from GOOD MP Brett Herron, Zulu said the government has been unsuccessful in its attempt to increase the value of the grant due to fiscal constraints.

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“The department is also concerned that since its implementation in 2020, the value has remained unchanged and is not keeping pace with inflation which directly translates to the value of the grant decreasing every year as inflation increases.

“The department approached the National Treasury with a proposal to increase the value of the grant. However, the request was not favourably considered due to fiscal constraints,” she said.

Furthermore, Zulu said while the department appreciates that the grant has been extended to March 2024, it remains a temporary grant.

She said:

In a statement, Herron said it was unacceptable.

“The fact is, since its implementation in 2020 the value has remained unchanged and is not keeping up with inflation. To put it simply, the value of the grant has been decreasing every year as the inflation increases, plunging families deeper into poverty and hunger every single day,” he said.

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Herron said StatsSA reported the largest annual increase in food prices since 2009 after statistics reflected a jump of 14% over the past 12 months.

"Government has a constitutional obligation to provide citizens with the minimum needs to survive. We must not allow government to avoid their constitutional duty while millions of South Africans are languishing in poverty.

"The Department of Social Development claims to be 'exploring options to introduce a more sustainable permanent intervention' for the working age population. Yet the inaction and apparent lack of concern remains extremely concerning," Herron said.

Herron said his party would continue advocating for a permanent basic income grant to assist vulnerable people.

“Research shows that this is possible and can be done through reprioritisation - if our leaders are serious about its implementation and a comprehensive overhaul of our social security programme,” he said.