Government extends Social Relief of Distress Fund to 2027

SOUTH AFRICA— Acting Minister of Social Development Sindiswa Chikunga revealed that the Department of Social Development has set aside over R36 billion for the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, which has been extended until March 2027.

According to IOL, Chikunga appeared before the National Assembly on 19 May 2026 where she tabled the department’s budget. She said that the Department of Social Development welcomed the grant’s extension and pointed out that the Department’ budget was tabled under difficult conditions.

How much government allocated to Social Development

Chikunga announced that the government allocated R302 billion to the Department for the 2026/27 financial year. She added that the lion’s share of the budget will go towards social grants. Chikunga added that R293 billion has been set aside for grant payouts.

Even though the government has allocated just under 10% of the social development budget to the SRD grant, it remained the only grant which remained unchanged. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana tabled the Budget Review on 26 February 2026 and announced that the SRD grant will remain at R370 while other grants increased. The old age pension grant increased to R2,400. The disability grant increased to R2,400, while the war veterans grant will increase to R2,420.

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Godongwana emphasised that social grants constitute the largest share of the department’s budget. However, the SRD will not remain in its current form for long. President Cyril Ramaphosa said on 19 March 2026 that the grant would be overhauled to create a grant for job seekers. He added that it would be redesigned to provide recipients with support as they seek employment.

Source: Briefly News