The Minister of Social Development has promised that Social Relief of Distress (SRD) R350 grant benefits will be paid by June 2024. This was revealed during the department’s budget vote speech this week.
The Department of Social Development’s (DSD) budget is aimed at intensifying its contribution to combat the triple challenge of poverty, inequality, and unemployment in South Africa. The main aspect of this is done through the distribution of social grants by the DSD.
The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) recently required all beneficiaries of the R350 grant to reapply for the grant. This meant that R350 grant applicants had around a week to reapply for the grant. Between 23 April 2024 and 30 April 2024, Sassa received more than 8.1 million applications for the grant.
Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu assured these R350 grant applicants that they will receive their money by June this year.
Speaking during the DSD’s budget vote, the minister revealed that the cost of the one-year extension of the R350 grant is R44 billion. This will be enough money to support 10.5 million eligible applicants.
Earlier this week, The South African Post Office (Sapo) announced they will no longer distribute the R350. Zulu said Sassa is approaching local fast-moving consumer goods traders to distribute the grants and give grant beneficiaries more options to collect their money.
Zulu says her department is working on enhancing and improving its systems to make it easier for grant beneficiaries to apply and receive their grants. She also praised the digital infrastructure that was used for the R350 grant as it reduced the need for physical contact.
The department received several new allocations to its budget apart front the R44 billion to extend the special Covid-19 SRD grant until March 2024. The DSD will be allocated R13.1 billion for inflation‐related increases in social grants, while R1.6 billion will be used to introduce an extended child support grant for double orphans in the care of relatives.
