No relief for grant recipients, hikes loom and food prices remain unaffordable

As the Institute for Economic Justice looked at drivers for exclusion from the Social Relief of Distress grant, its report shows that many recipients cannot meet basic needs. Meanwhile, the average cost of foods in the household food basket has increased again.

Image by Naledi Sikhakhane.

Maverick Citizen has been tracking the prices of 14 basic food items that a consumer can buy with R370, the amount of the SRD grant. The food basket hovers above R400, making it unaffordable for those who receive the grant as their only source of income.

The Institute for Economic Justice studied the drivers and impact of exclusion from the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant.

“The Devastating Impact of being denied the SRD grant leads to increased poverty, hunger and financial instability. With no alternative social assistance for working-age adults, many struggle to meet basic needs, worsening long-term economic hardship,” the Institute found.

The Institute’s report shows that not only do recipients have to worry about meeting all needs within this amount, but also face possibly not receiving the monthly grant. The report finds that nearly half of successful applicants do not receive funds, with a difficult appeal process as “only 5.3% of appeals from eligible individuals succeed.”

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