‘SRD grant ruling paves way for universal basic income grant’

The #PayTheGrants Campaign says the ruling on the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) regulations is a major victory for beneficiaries and those previously excluded, due to the South African Social Security Agency’s (SASSA) restrictive regulations.

On Thursday, the High Court in Pretoria declared SASSA’s 2023 regulations limiting access to the R350 grant as unconstitutional and invalid.

This comes after the Campaign and the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) represented by the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI), brought the case to court,  supported by 79 grant applicant affidavits.

#PayTheGrants’ Deputy Director, Elizabeth Raiters says the ruling paves the way for a universal basic income grant.

“The judge was very fair in his ruling because SASSA really didn’t understand the implications of all the regulations put in place to actually exclude these beneficiaries that have been going hungry, especially with the unemployment rate being so high in South Africa and there are no jobs. I would really say this is the right steppingstone towards universal basic income grant,” explains Raiters.

PODCAST: Interview with Raiters on SA fm’s First Take programme on SRD grant’s ruling:

The IEJ also welcomed the judgment, describing it as historic as it stands to benefit half of the population.

In a statement, the institute says it is a resounding victory for the country’s most vulnerable.

Statement | Historic judgment in SRD grant court case stands to benefit half of South Africa’s population. – pic.twitter.com/2r9wWleCqf

— Institute for Economic Justice (@IEJ_SA) January 24, 2025

The judgment also issued a sharp rebuke to the National Treasury, saying it had overreached into social development policy and imposed unlawful and unconstitutional requirements on SRD grant applicants in an attempt to curtail public expenditure. -Additional reporting by Xoliswa Makhikhi.