Question NW526 to the Minister of Social Development
20 April 2023 - NW526
Herron, Mr BN to ask the Minister of Social Development
What is the reason that the (a) Government has failed to increase the Social Relief of Distress grant from R350,00 per month to cushion the poor against inflation and (b) specified grant is still regarded as a temporary grant which will end in 2024?
Reply:
a) Government has been unsuccessful in its attempt to increase the value of the Social Relief of Distress grant due to fiscal constraints. 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 translate to the value of the grant decreasing every year as the 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.
b) Yes, whilst the Department appreciates that the grant has been extended to March 2024, it remains a temporary grant. An agreement on the future of the COVID-19 SRD (cSRD) has not as yet been reached, nor what should replace the grant when the temporary arrangement comes to an end. However, the Department is currently exploring options to introduce a more sustainable permanent intervention aimed at addressing the needs of working age population.