The State’s appeal of the High Court judgment on the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant will be heard by the Supreme Court of Appeal on 25 August 2026 in Bloemfontein.
The case, brought by the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) and #PayTheGrants, represented by the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI), challenges aspects of the SRD grant system that the High Court found to be unlawfully exclusionary. The litigation raises important questions about access to social assistance, the design of the grant system, the adequacy of the grant and eligibility threshold, and the non-payment of approved beneficiaries.
The IEJ has prepared this SRD Grant Appeal Hearing Press Kit to support journalists and media organisations covering the appeal. It brings together key legal and case background, relevant documents, previous reporting, key issues and journalistic angles, quotes for attribution, and media contact and access information.
The press kit is intended as a factual reference resource to help ensure accurate, contextual reporting on the case and its implications for the constitutional right to social assistance in South Africa.
