The Universal Basic Income Coalition (UBIC) has submitted the following in response to the proposed amendments to the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant regulations.
In brief, the amendments fall far short of what is required to fix the grant system and fail our people again.
Despite the critical need to strengthen and expand social protection, the proposed amendments continue to neglect the lived realities of millions of South Africans who depend on the SRD grant as a lifeline. UBIC views these limited adjustments as another missed opportunity by government to create a more inclusive, accessible and sustainable income support system.
UBIC urges the government to adopt more transformative reforms, including moving towards a universal basic income grant that guarantees income security for all, that is not exclusionary, ensuring no one is left behind.
Key points of the submission:
- Meaningful consultation is limited by short timeframe: These amendments were released just one week before the current regulations expired, with only three weeks for public input.
- Uncertainty causes real harm: Last-minute decisions cause distress and hardship for millions who rely on the grant to afford basic needs month-to-month.
- Clarity needed on new applications in April and May: Because the amendment regulations are being gazetted so late, government intends to use old beneficiary data to process grants for April and May. Does this mean that new applications will not be processed in these months? If so, people in immediate need will be unable to access assistance.
- The amendments do not fix long-standing issues: The regulations will continue to exclude millions through digital, linguistic, and technical barriers.
- Unliveable and falling grant value and means test: The value and means test threshold for the grant are unchanged in the amended regulations and continue to fall compared to the cost of living. The SRD’s value, at R370, is now less than half the food poverty line (R796), while applicants who have more than R624 in their bank account in a month are denied outright.
- Court ruling ignored: The recent High Court ruling affirmed that key elements of the regulations are exclusionary and unconstitutional. The state has ignored the order in these amendments and instead will devote public resources to fighting the ruling.
- The only small change begs big questions: DSD has proposed that SASSA should no longer reject people based on their answers to questions on the application form. The application form contains irrelevant questions like how an applicant would survive if denied the grant. We fought against this being introduced in the first place, and were told it was for “research purposes”. What is the nature of this research? Furthermore, why does the Department propose to delete this provision now? Are they admitting it is inappropriate? Finally, will SASSA continue to collect data through the application form, even though it is not able to use this data to determine eligibility?
- End piecemeal policy-making: Government must stop last-minute action and annual extensions, and make the SRD grant a permanent, constitutionally-compliant mechanism to support our people and country.
In conclusion: “This is yet another missed opportunity to fix a system that continues to frustrate access to support for 9 million food-insecure people.”
UBIC is comprised of the following organisations:
- Alternative Information and Development Centre (AIDC)
- Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) – Africa UBI Observatory
- Black Sash
- Children’s Institute, UCT
- Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU)
- The Family Caregiving Programme
- Global Reformed Platforms for Engagement (GRAPE )
- Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ)
- #PayTheGrants
- RightfulShare An Income Movement
- Women on Farms Project
- Youth Lab