Advocacy groups say they are hopeful that an upcoming Supreme Court of Appeal hearing could improve access to the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant for people who have previously been excluded.
The state is appealing a High Court ruling that declared several SRD grant regulations unconstitutional and invalid. These include the requirement for applications to be submitted online and concerns around the grant’s eligibility and verification processes.
The ruling could potentially increase the number of SRD beneficiaries from around 8.3 million to as many as 18 million.
However, National Treasury has warned that expanding access to the grant could cost government close to R100 billion a year, placing further pressure on the fiscus.
Speaking to VOC News, Black Sash National Advocacy Manager Hoodah Abrahams-Fayker said the upcoming appeal is not directly about expanding the grant, but about the conditions people must meet to access it.
“The hearing later this month is not about the expansion, but in terms of the conditions to be eligible for the Social Relief of Distress grant. Black Sash, with many other organisations, has raised concerns about being able to access the grant because it’s obviously only online, it’s only in English. There is a means test and eligibility criteria,” she said.
Abrahams-Fayker also raised concerns about the use of government databases during the verification process, saying information may not always be updated in real time, potentially resulting in eligible applicants being excluded.
She said the High Court judgment addressed several of these concerns and found aspects of the regulations to be unconstitutional, but National Treasury has since appealed the ruling.
The SRD grant is currently expected to come to an end at the end of March next year, unless government takes steps to extend it.
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