Government recently announced the extension of the R350 Relief Grant to March 2025. Now that the grant has extended, beneficiaries may be wondering if this comes with a grant amount increase.
On the 2nd of November 2023, Finance Minister, Enoch Godongwana announced the extension of the R350 grant which was previously set to end in March of 2024. The recent extension allows that beneficiaries can collect their R350 grant until March of 2025.
The R350 grant, also known as the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, was first introduced during the Covid-19 crisis in 2020. With the country under lockdown, and many citizens’ health and livelihoods threatened, the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) began the rollout of the grant, which was intended to alleviate financial distress for those who were the worst affected by the pandemic.
Since then, the grant has been a main source of income for many financially disadvantaged South African citizens. Although it was initially meant to stop at the end of the pandemic, the grant has continuously been extended to accommodate post-pandemic recovery.
Will Sassa Increase The SRD Grant Amount?
The SRD Grant represents one of a number of other grants provided by Sassa, which include the Older Person’s Grant, War Veteran’s Grant, Disability Grant, Foster Child’s Grant, Care Dependency Grant and the Child Support Grant.
In addition, there are grants that can be received in addition to other grants, like the Child Support Grant Top-Up and the Grant-in-Aid, which is for beneficiaries who are unable to care for themselves and would need additional care aid.
Though the SRD Grant has been extended another year, the grant amount has not increased and will remain at R350. There is currently no indication that the grant is set to increase.
According to the Department of Social Development, the lack of an increase is due to “fiscal constraints.” Despite the department’s request to the National Treasury for an increase, it was not favourably considered due to these fiscal constraints.
Both the Social Development Minister, Lindiwe Zulu, and Brenda Sibeko, the Deputy Director-General at the department, have expressed their desire for an increase in the SRD grant. However, there has been no official confirmation of a grant increase, and it currently remains at the value of R350 per month.
Sassa Grant Increases
Sassa officially increased the value of grants on 1 October 2023. Almost all of the grants distributed by Sassa will be increased. However, the R350 grant and the Child Support Grant Top-Up will not be increased this month.
Sassa permanent grants including the Older person grants, disability grants, child support grants, foster child grants, war veterans grants and care dependency will all be increased by R10.
This means that the value of the Old age grant, Care Dependency grant, and Disability grant will rise to R2090, while the War Veterans Grant will see an increase to R2110.
Nonetheless, if you are not already receiving an SRD grant and do qualify, applications are still open for citizens. Be sure to apply with your correct details, otherwise you will not receive your grant payment.
