SASSA R350 Grant Extension [Yes, Know the Date]
You are a grant beneficiary and are worried about the future of your SASSA R350 grant extension and whether it will proceed or not. Knowing its future status is important as you rely on it for your basic needs.
Well, we have good news for you. SASSA R350 has been extended. All the details regarding this extension are mentioned below.
Is R350 extended?
The R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant has been extended. The R350 grant was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic to assist those suffering from difficulties.
It was supposed to come to an end in March 2023. However, last year, the grant was extended up to March 2024.
Authorities on SASSA R350 grant extension:
Finance Minister Enoch Godogwan announced on Wednesday that the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant has been extended for another year until March 2024.
Godogwan, presenting his mid-term budget speech in the parliament, said that.
“The SRD grant was introduced in May 2020 as a temporary measure to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable affected by lockdown measures. It has been extended several times since then. Discussions on the future of the grant are ongoing and involve very difficult trade-offs and financing decisions.”
Last month, addressing the parliament, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the grant would be maintained until March 2024 while the government looks into other social support measures.
He stated ;
” We are looking at how we move beyond the SRD grant. There have been calls for introducing the basic income grant, which will support several people, and that is being considered.”
Sebiko said that
” We think it should be extended because we think the reasons for the grant haven’t changed. There is still poverty, hunger and unemployment in the country.
The people accessing that grant are showing us every month, when we look at their income levels through their bank accounts, that they have less than R624.
So we think it’s very important for us to ensure they have enough money to buy food. Until that happens, we have to continue with the grant.”
Latest news on grant extension
According to the National Treasury, the COVID-19 SRD grant is expected to increase by at least 8.8% every year, and its financial support could reach some R 64.9 billion in the financial year 2030/31.
Concerns of IEJ:
Neil Coleman, the co-founder of the Institute of Economic Justice (IEJ), said
“Since March, nearly a third of the budget for the SRD payments hasn’t been spent. These grants are aimed at the poorest South Africans, on the brink of poverty and hunger.”
According to him, the reason behind the sudden decline in approvals was
- The threshold of R350 for the means test excluded many possible beneficiaries.
- The requirements of bank verification.
- Online application system.
The DSD’s budget for 2022-23 for the R350 grant was R44 billion, ensuring the grant payments of 10.5 million people per month.
However, DSD’s data show that 18.3 million people live below the poverty line, and 13.4 million have no income.
Lift in threshold:
A civil society organisation, Black Sash, took the DSD Minister to court to challenge the unfair regulations that had excluded millions of beneficiaries from receiving the grant.
As a result, in August, the threshold for eligibility was lifted to R624 a month.
Demand of Civil society organisations:
Various civil society organisations such as the Black Sash, the IEJ, and the CALS have demanded that the government make the grant permanent and increase it to R624.
Apply if you haven’t applied yet
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has said those already receiving the R350 grant don’t need to re-apply in April.
However, you should apply if you have not previously availed of the grant.
Is SASSA R350 grant permanent?
No, the R350 grant was introduced as a temporary grant extended several times. There is yet no news about turning it into a permanent grant.
Answering a question about its turning the grant into a permanent program, Ramaphosa said
“South Africa already provides extensive social security support through grants that reach more than 46% of the population. As we build the economy and create employment, we remain committed to finding appreciative mechanisms to support all those who need assistance from the state within the available resources.”
Conclusion
R350 was introduced as a temporary measure to help the people affected by lockdown in COVID-19. It has been extended many times, yet the government still hasn’t decided whether to make it permanent.
But you have SASSA R350 grant extension news. It is said that they are even considering extending it after March 2024.