Latest Update on the New Grant for SA As R370 SRD Payment Gets Extended

• South Africa's National Treasury extended the Social Relief of Distress grant for an additional year after policy delays stalled a permanent replacement
• The R370 monthly payout currently reaches around 8 million unemployed South Africans aged 18 to 59
• A court challenge could force the government to extend eligibility to 13 million more people, pushing annual costs past R74 billion

South Africa's Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant will continue for at least another year. The National Treasury confirmed the extension after the Department of Social Development missed several internal deadlines needed to finalise a permanent Basic Income Support system.

According to a report, the R370 monthly grant currently reaches roughly 8 million unemployed adults between the ages of 18 and 59. It was due to be phased out, but delays in drafting replacement legislation left officials with little choice but to keep the existing programme running.

Why the permanent grant is taking so long

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Government had previously committed to replacing the SRD grant with a longer-term support structure. The envisioned programme goes beyond a basic monthly payment. It would link recipients to national digital employment networks, connecting unemployed citizens with vocational training, business development opportunities, and job vacancies.

However, the policy blueprint has not yet been published for public participation or cabinet review, pushing back the entire transition timeline.

Treasury officials believe the overall cost of the current grant will decrease over the medium term. Stricter biometric screening and database audits are expected to remove hundreds of thousands of ineligible recipients from state rolls, freeing up billions of rands for healthcare and domestic violence programmes.

Court challenge could blow open the budget

The financial outlook for the grant is far from settled. A legal dispute is working its way through the courts, and its outcome could dramatically change the scale of the programme.

An earlier court ruling struck down the income-testing criteria that the government uses to turn away applicants. If the Supreme Court of Appeal upholds that ruling, as many as 13 million additional South Africans could qualify for the monthly stipend.

The current grant already costs around R36 billion per year. Should the government lose its appeal, parliamentary analysts warn that figure could more than double, pushing total annual expenditure past R74 billion and placing significant strain on the national budget.

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SASSA changes November grant payment dates ahead of local elections

For now, millions of South Africans who depend on the R370 monthly payment can expect it to continue, even as the government works to find a more sustainable path forward.

More on SASSA grants and payment dates

• Briefly News recently reported that SASSA changed its November 2026 grant payment dates ahead of local government elections, with around four million pensioners paid before the end of October.
• Millions of SASSA old-age grant recipients will receive their November payments early, but the change means a longer wait for December's money.
• SASSA grant reviews are leaving thousands facing possible payment suspensions, with monthly checks and a three-month warning system raising concerns among beneficiaries.

Source: Briefly News