R44 billion allocated for COVID-19 SRD grant

• Published date: 13 May 2022
• Publication title: South African Official News

Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu says eight days after the department opened applications for the COVID-19 social relief grant, in excess of 8.1 million people applied for the grant.

Zulu said this when she tabled the department's budget vote during a mini plenary of the National Assembly on Friday morning.

'The application channels for the grant for the period from April 2022 to March 2023, as announced by the President, opened on 23 April 2022.

'By 30 April 2022, in excess of 8.1 million applications had already been received.

'I assure all qualifying applicants that they will be in receipt of their payments for this iteration of the grant by June,' she said.

Zulu said the allocation for the COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant for the 2022/23 financial year is R44 billion.

'This means that each month 10.5 million approved applicants will receive this important social safety net intervention that cushions them and their families against the constraints of unemployment and poverty.

'This grant type is increasingly taking advantage of commonplace data and digital infrastructures to process applications and conduct verifications. Therefore, the need for physical contact is greatly reduced.

Zulu said SASSA was extending its negotiations to include local fast moving consumer goods traders as part of their payment outlets for the COVID-19 SRD grant.

'I wish to reiterate our government's commitment and readiness to fight crime syndicates and criminals who are defrauding the State.

'To this end, we are continuing to work together with the relevant law enforcement agencies to ensure that these and their actions are detected, isolated, arrested and...