When the state of disaster was lifted, new regulations were implemented in administering the R350 grant. In terms of the Social Assistance Act, Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant beneficiaries that qualified to continue receiving the grant were individuals with a monthly threshold of R350.
In the recently published government gazette by the Department of Social Development (DSD) Minister Lindiwe Zulu, there is a key factor that the Minister has proposed to be changed.
According to the gazette, the department is now looking to have the income threshold changed from R350 to R624 per month.
This comes after Sassa came under fire as lobby groups were up in arms over millions of beneficiaries being adversely affected by the initial change to the income threshold which went from R545 per month to R350 grant, excluding Caregiver grantholders.
Out of the 10.9 million applications South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) had received for the SRD grant, 5 million applications had been approved and approximately 5 million applications declined.
Whilst lobby groups were advocating for changes to the new criteria under the new regulations, they also pointed out many South Africans live below the poverty line.
According to StatsSa, individuals who had R624 a month available for food were living below the poverty line, according to the South African national standards.
In the gazette, the public has been called to make written submissions on the proposal to the DSD before 29 July 2024.
