SOCIAL grants will increase by at least 5% in the next financial year, and the Social Relief Grant will remain in place until 2024.
This was announced by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwane during his 2023 National Budget Speech held in Cape Town on Tuesday.
Godongwane said, “Sixty-six billion rand is allocated to Social Development over the medium term, with R36 billion to fund the extension of the COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress [SRD] grant until 31 March 2024. Thirty billion rand will be used for inflation-linked increases for other social grants.”
ALSO read: Unemployed caregivers with no IDs eligible for Covid-19 SRD grant
He said that although the SRD grant will continue, the government is considering options to provide alternative social protection to those receiving it.
“For 2023/24, about R400 million has been allocated to the South African Social Security Agency to administer [the SRD]. Government is still considering alternative options to provide appropriate social protection for the working-age population that can replace or complement the current grant. Funds spent on the grant were lower than projected in 2022/23 due to improved means testing,” the minister said.
Godongwana announced a new social grant, the Extended Child Support Grant, for double orphans, ‘to encourage the care of orphans within families rather than foster care’.
And he revealed that the extension of the R350 Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant to another 12 months will cost the government R44b.
ALSO read: Sassa opens system to change SRD grant payment method
The Old Age, War Veteran, Disability, and Care Dependence grants will increase by R90 in April and a further R10 in October. The Foster Care and Child Support grants will increase once-off by R20 in April, as mentioned by Godongwane.
According to the 2023 National Budget, the increases to social grants are as follows:
- The Old Age grant will go up from R1 985 to R2 085.
- The Old Age grants for those over the age of 75 will increase to R2 105.
- Grants for War Veterans will increase from R2 005 to R2 105.
- Disability Grants go up to R2 085.
- The Foster Care grant will increase by 5.1% to R1 125.
- Care Dependency grants will rise from R1 985 to R2 085.
- Child Support grants will go up by 5.2% to R505.
- Grant-in-aid will rise to R505 – up by 5.2%.
For more Southlands Sun news, follow us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also follow us on Instagram.
