The R370 SRD grant reaches the Supreme Court of Appeal
On this page (6 sections)
The Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein heard argument on 25 August 2026 in the state's appeal against a High Court judgment that found the regulations governing the R370 SRD grant unconstitutional. The High Court had criticised the online-only application route, the bank-verification and database checks, the income assessment and an appeals process that repeats the same checks. Nothing has changed for applicants yet. Until judgment is delivered and any order takes effect, the existing rules, the R370 amount and the R624 income threshold all still apply.
What the High Court found
| The rule challenged | The criticism |
|---|---|
| Online-only applications | Excludes people without smartphones, data or connectivity — the very people the grant is for |
| Automated bank verification | Treats any money passing through an account as income, including loans and money held for someone else |
| Database cross-checks | Declines rest on records that are frequently out of date |
| The income threshold | R624 a month sits well below the food poverty line of around R855 |
| The appeals process | Re-runs the same automated checks that produced the original decline |
What the state argues
The state's case rests principally on affordability — that government cannot fund a broader grant or a higher amount within the fiscal envelope — and on the argument that the design of the grant is a policy choice for the executive and Parliament rather than a matter for the courts. Civil-society applicants argue the state must justify the limits it places on who receives the grant, rather than assert them.
What this means for you today
| Question | Position as at 9 September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Has the SRD amount changed? | No. It remains R370 a month |
| Has the income threshold changed? | No. R624 a month |
| Can I still apply? | Yes — at srd.sassa.gov.za, as before |
| Can I still appeal a decline? | Yes — within 90 days, per declined month, at srd.dsd.gov.za |
| Is back-pay owed because of the case? | No. No order to that effect is in force |
| Should I wait for the outcome? | No. Apply and appeal under the current rules |
The wider policy picture
The litigation runs alongside the policy work on a permanent replacement for the SRD grant. The government's proposed Livelihoods Support Grant is the vehicle being discussed, and we track only the officially announced milestones on that — the current position. Neither process changes anything about what you can claim this month.
Frequently asked questions
Has the SRD grant increased because of the court case?
No. It remains R370 a month, and the income threshold remains R624. No court order changing either is in force.
Should I wait to apply until the case is decided?
No. Apply now under the current rules. SRD is assessed month by month, and a month you do not apply for is a month you cannot recover.
Am I owed back-pay from the court case?
No. Anyone offering to register you for a court-related payout is running a scam.
When will judgment be delivered?
The Supreme Court of Appeal reserves judgment and delivers it in its own time. We will update this page when it does.
Verified information
- Responsible body
- South African Social Security Agency (SASSA)
- Official source
- sassa.gov.za
- Status
- Confirmed, some figures pending
- Date verified
- Confidence
- Medium confidence — varies locally
The litigation and the hearing are matters of public record. Nothing about the SRD grant's rules or amount has changed as a result — until the court rules and any order takes effect, the existing rules apply. We will update this page when judgment is delivered.
SA Benefits is independent and not affiliated with SASSA or government. Editorial guidance on this page is clearly separated from official information — see how we verify.
What's changed on this page (1)
Published after the Supreme Court of Appeal heard the state's appeal on 25 August 2026, with an explicit note that nothing has changed for applicants yet.
Site-wide corrections are logged publicly in the corrections register.
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