Social Development publishes amendments to the Covid-19 social relief of distress
26 March 2024, Pretoria: Following the President Cyril Ramaphosa and Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s announcement to extend the COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, the Minister of Social Development, Ms Lindiwe Zulu, published the Amendments to the COVID-19 SRD Regulations in Government Notice No. R. 4466 on 25 March 2024 to provide for the extension of the benefit to 31 March 2025 as prescribed by Section 32(1) and (2), read with section 13 of the Social Assistance Act, 2004 (Act No.13 of 2004)
Introduced during the COVID-19 global pandemic as part of the Presidential Stimulus Package, the COVID-19 SRD grant has had a meaningful impact on the lives of poor, unemployed, and vulnerable working-age individuals; some of whom had lost their jobs and breadwinners.
Since its implementation in 2020, this provision has been one of government’s effective interventions and poverty alleviation measures.
The grant has led to major reductions in food poverty amongst unemployed working age persons and has reduced the number of people living in extreme poverty.
The grant has also enabled individuals to search for formal and informal jobs, even without conditions attached.
The amended COVID-19 SRD Regulations seek to:
- amend sub-regulations 5 (1) and (3) to provide for payment of R20.00 increase, bringing the new COVID-19 SRD value to R 370.00 and to allow for extension of the provision from 01 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, as announced by the Minister of Finance in last year’s MTBPS.
- Introduce Regulations 6A on “Recovery and Uncollected benefits”, (6B) on “Death of COVID-19 SRD beneficiary” and (6C) on “Transitional provision” are new insertions aimed at promoting effective and efficient administration of the provision.
- Regulations 6A empowers the Agency to recover irregular payments, suspend and cancel approved but uncollected benefits within prescribed timeframes if the person fails to respond to the Agency’s request for personal details.
- Regulation 6B, provides for lapsing of the benefit on the las day of the month in which the beneficiary died.
- Regulation 6C, seeks to ensure uninterrupted assessments and payments during the transition between the Regulations published on 29 March 2023 and these amendments.
A copy of the gazette can be accessed online on www.gpwonline.co.za or https://tinyurl.com/ycy8yd32
Media enquiries may be forwarded to Ms Lumka Oliphant on 0834848067 or lumkao@dsd.gov.za
