SRD Grant After March 2027: What's Confirmed

• The new extension Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced in his Medium Term Budget Policy Statement on Wednesday 21 October 2026 that the SRD will be extended for another year, GroundUp reported. The grant was due to end in March 2027. The same report says government plans to link the grant to work, skills and business support through a new data platform called MzansiXchange.
• The extension The Minister of Social Development said on 17 February 2026 that the amendments to the SRD regulations would formalise a 12-month extension, from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, at R370 a month. The statement described the amendments as a way to "regularize" that extension. They were published for public comment on 11 February 2026. Read it on the government's website.
• The money SAnews reported on 25 February 2026 that the Budget allocated R36.4 billion to extend SRD payments to 31 March 2027, with the grant staying at R370. The Budget report didn't say what follows.
• No rule changes were announced The statement said the aim was to formalise the extension, and it didn't mention changes to eligibility or the R624 income limit.

The government has said it wants something more lasting than SRD, and has said so in three ways.

Basic Income Support. The Department of Social Development first took a draft Basic Income Support policy to Cabinet in November 2024. Cabinet sent it back, and the department told Parliament in June 2025 it wasn't rejected but needed tightening. Cabinet wanted proof that it was affordable, and stronger links to work and to leaving the grant. GroundUp reported in February 2026 that the department's target was to put a revised policy to Cabinet in March 2027, and that it had asked for an extension of SRD so there was no break in support while that was finished.

Treasury's position. Treasury said in January 2026 that the grant would be replaced by Basic Income Support, and that there were "no fixed timelines" for finalising it.

The President's announcement. On 20 March 2026 the President said the SRD would be redesigned so that recipients get support to find work and to sustain a livelihood, and that the department was still consulting Treasury. No start date, amount or eligibility rules were given.

You may see a "Livelihoods Support Grant" described online, with a start date, a consultation window and conditions such as registering as a work-seeker and completing a skills programme. None of that comes from a government document, so don't act on it. The Department of Social Development, gov.za and Parliament list no grant of that name.

Also not yet confirmed: the amount during the new extension, and whether who qualifies will change.

The High Court in Pretoria ruled in January 2025 that parts of the SRD regulations, including the online-only application and the R624 threshold, were unconstitutional. The government appealed, and on 25 August 2026 the case reached the Supreme Court of Appeal, which reserved judgment, GroundUp reported. As of 21 October 2026 judgment is still pending. If the High Court ruling is upheld, it could change who qualifies. Until then it doesn't.

Nothing has changed today. Keep checking your status each month and keep your details current, since SASSA said in November 2025 that an application without verification is unsuccessful. The R370 amount has not changed, and each month is still assessed on its own.

As the extension takes shape, watch official channels: SASSA's website, its Facebook page (OfficialSASSA) and the Department of Social Development. Ignore messages that say you must register or pay for a new grant, since SASSA says it never asks for your PIN or for personal details on social media. The news page will carry confirmed announcements.

Not on SRD? Another grant may fit. The eligibility calculator checks all eight. For the current SRD rules, see the SRD guide.