Covid Grants Will Be Paid This Month, Pending Appeal

The recipients of the Covid Social Relief of Distress Grant (SRD) will still receive their money this month, despite the department appealing a High Court in Pretoria judgment on the grant, according to the social development department.

- Cornelia le Roux

Last month's decision could increase the amount of the R370 SRD grant and the number of people who will receive it.

The ruling was in favour of the Institute for Economic Justice and #PayTheGrants, that took the minister of social development, the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa), and the minister of finance to court over regulations pertaining to the grant.

The department said this week that it would appeal the ruling but was "committed to serving vulnerable South Africans with integrity".

"Sassa will continue to administer the SRD [grant] as per existing guidelines to ensure uninterrupted service delivery," it added.

The applicants contested the constitutionality of certain of the Regulations relating to Covid social relief of distress, introduced on 29 May 2023 by the minister of social development.