More than 19 million people are expected to benefit from the increase of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, commonly referred to as the R350 grant, which will see an increase to R370 from April this year.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced this on Thursday in the National Assembly.
“I am pleased to say that we have reached a consensus to increase the R350 to R370 by the 1st of April this year, as part of the progressive realisation of the basic rights of our people,” Godongwana said, the Independent Online reported.
R350 GRANT INTRODUCED AS A TEMPORARY MEASURE
As a temporary measure, the R350 grant was introduced in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. The grant has received an R20 increase for the first time since its introduction.
This announcement follows Godongwana ‘s Budget Speech in February, where he outlined a series of increases across various social grants throughout 2024. The SRD grant is not the only grant that will receive an increase.
The planned increases for this year include a R100 raise for old age, war veterans, disability, and care dependency grants, with R90 to take effect in April and an additional R10 in October.
WORK ON THE BASIC INCOME GRANT STILL ONGOING – ZULU
They also include an R50 increment to the foster care grant and a R20 boost to the child support grant.
Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu recently said that work on a basic income grant was ongoing. She said the process of transferring the R350 unemployment grant to a basic income grant has yet to be concluded.
“Moving SRD grant to basic income grant must not be seen in isolation of the overall comprehensive social security for South Africans. We are not only looking at paying these grants, but we are part and parcel of a government that looks for solutions to growing the economy and linking the grant beneficiaries to economic opportunities,” Zulu said at the time.
‘WE HAVE SEEN THE BENEFITS OF THIS GRANT,’ SAYS RAMAPHOSA
During the State of the Nation Address (Sona), President Cyril Ramaphosa vowed to improve the SRD grant, saying that the grant was a much-needed social assistance investment.
“We have seen the benefits of this grant and will extend it and improve it as the next step towards income support for the unemployed. These grants and subsidies do much more than give people what they need to live. They are an investment in the future, Ramaphosa said.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES BY GCINA NTSALUBA
