By Lee-Yandra Paulsen
A challenge to the regulations governing the R370-a-month Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant will be heard in the Pretoria High Court on 29 and 30 October.
In 2023, #PayTheGrants and the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) filed an application challenging these regulations, arguing that they exclude many eligible individuals from receiving the grant.
A Researcher at the Institute for Economic Justice, Siyanda Baduza explained, “The SRD grant was introduced in 2020 to alleviate the effects of COVID-19, which exacerbated unemployment and hunger. However, changes to the rules in 2022 led to a significant drop in beneficiaries. In March 2022, around 10 million people were receiving the grant, but the new rules that followed sharply reduced this number. The decline wasn’t due to improved conditions for recipients but because the new regulations unjustly excluded those who still needed assistance.”
Baduza highlighted two primary issues with the regulations. “First, the rules exclude many individuals who should qualify for the grant but are unable to access it. Second, the value of the grant has been diminished since 2022.”
He elaborated on the problematic regulations: “One major issue is the definition of income in the application process. Unlike other grants, such as the child support grant, where eligibility is based on income thresholds, the SRD grant uses bank verification to assess income. This process considers all money in a person’s bank account as income, even though it may not be regular or may be held on behalf of others. This broad definition leads to many being wrongly excluded.”
Baduza also pointed out that the application process for the SRD grant is exclusively online, which assumes that applicants have access to smartphones and the Internet. This is unrealistic for individuals earning less than R624 a month, making it another barrier to access.
Moreover, he said the appeals process does not allow for the submission of new evidence to contest unfair exclusions.
“We’re not asking the court to set a specific value for the grant,” Baduza said. “Instead, we want the government to develop a long-term plan for the SRD grants. Currently, the grant is managed on a year-by-year basis. We seek a detailed plan that outlines how the government will handle the grant in the future, including measurable objectives for its implementation and continuation.”
VOC News
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