Treasury reveals 30% of SA's population will receive a social grant, excluding COVID-19 SRD Grant

CAPE TOWN - There are no big adjustments on the cards for social grant spending in the medium term, as the National Treasury again kicks the can down the road on the basic income grant.

But the National Treasury does say, over the next three years, 30% of the population will receive some form of social grant - excluding the COVID-19 Special Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant.

To lessen reliance on handouts, adds National Treasury, the government will instead spend R3.4 billion on job creation initiatives in 2024/25.

The mini-budget has maintained its support for the vulnerable by ensuring that almost 60% of non-interest spending is allocated to the social wage.

However, the National Treasury says the budget for social grants is sufficient for inflation-linked increases for the next financial year.

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Calls for a basic income grant are not part of the government’s immediate spending plans.

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana says there's no additional adjustment to the SRD Grant above what was announced earlier this year.

"R2.7 billion expenditure was announced at the time of the main budget, mainly for COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant."

Godongwana says the fiscal strategy remains to protect the social wage through spending on health, education and social protection.