Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the Cooperative Governance Minister stated that although the State of Disaster may come to an end, the R350 Social Grant will continue.
Many organizations were able to respond to the statement, including Black Sash which continues to call for the implementation of a Basic Income Grant.
Black Sash National Advocacy Manager Hoodah Abrahams-Faker announced that the organization has made written submissions to the Department of Social Development (DSD).
Abrahams-Faker stated that they have been strongly advocating addressing the administrative challenges that have been an obstacle to applicants getting the grant, such as application verification, and the appeals process.
Black Sash’s submissions were centred around these issues as well as the eligibility criteria, and the grant amount.
The organisation believes that these matters need to be addressed because they are standing in the way of those who require the grant.
“The unemployed have been excluded as a vulnerable group in terms of our social assistance framework and this was the first acknowledgement with the SRD grant that the unemployed are struggling,” said Abrahams-Faker.
According to the Black Sash National Advocacy Manager, the organization has been requesting a Basic Income Grant for two decades, which could address the challenges of unemployment, poverty, and inequality.
The Social Relief of Distress Grant is temporary until March 2023, however, the organisation believes that it is important that the grant becomes permanent social assistance to unemployed individuals and eventually move towards a Basic Income Grant.
Abrahams-Faker hopes that the government will put policy frameworks in place so that this transition can take place in 2023.
Black Sash has been engaging with the DSD and reiterating that the R350 grant application is exclusively online which presents many challenges to applicants.
However, Abrahams-Faker has stated that the DSD has responded to say that they have limited staff to be able to allow a hybrid model for people to make applications in person.
In addition, Black Sash has also stated that they are concerned about the outdated databases which applicants are required to use to assess whether they qualify for the grant.
The database does not allow for supporting documentation to confirm the state of unemployment of the individual.
The organisation hopes that the department will take their concerns and suggestions into consideration concerning the grant.
