The R370 Social Relief of Distress grant is funded from April 2026 through 31 March 2027 at an unchanged R370, and the President has said it will be continued and redesigned.

Every year, millions of applicants ask the same question: will the SRD grant be terminated? For the 2026/27 financial year the answer is no. Here is a breakdown of what the State of the Nation Address (SONA) and the 2026 Budget confirmed, and what is still undecided.

Immediate Relief: Your R370 is Funded Until March 2027

The Department of Social Development confirmed that the SRD grant is extended for a further 12 months, from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, with the monthly amount staying at R370. The Minister of Social Development published draft amendments to the SRD regulations for public comment to formalise this 12-month extension.

In the Budget delivered on 25 February 2026, National Treasury allocated an additional R36.4 billion to extend payments until 31 March 2027 at the current R370 per month.

If you meet the existing eligibility criteria, your monthly R370 payments continue. You do not need to submit a fresh application.

✅ The Verdict: Approved beneficiaries who continue to pass the monthly checks will keep being paid until at least 31 March 2027.

What the 2026 Budget Said About the SRD

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana delivered the Budget on 25 February 2026. The main points for SRD beneficiaries were:

The amount stays at R370. Unlike other social grants, which increased from April 2026, the SRD was not adjusted for inflation.
Funding runs to 31 March 2027. The additional R36.4 billion covers the 2026/27 financial year.
Details of the redesign were deferred. The Minister said further details on the future of the grant would be provided in the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) later this year.

Poverty-focused groups had lobbied for an inflation-adjusted increase, but Treasury kept the amount frozen.

The SRD Grant Beyond March 2027

During his State of the Nation Address on 12 February 2026, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the grant will continue:

"As a transformative instrument to improve the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable people, this grant will be continued."

Since its introduction in May 2020, the government has described the SRD as a temporary intervention, and beneficiaries have lived from extension to extension. The President's words signal that the grant is not simply being switched off.

However, it is important to be precise: funding has only been confirmed until 31 March 2027. What happens after that date, and in what form, has not yet been announced.

A Shift in Purpose: The Planned Redesign

The President also said the grant will be redesigned this year to more effectively support livelihoods, skills development, work opportunities and productive activity.

The government has not yet published the details. Open questions include:

Whether new conditions or rules will apply to beneficiaries
Whether re-registration will be required
Whether the R370 value will change
When any redesigned grant would start

These details are expected to be addressed in the MTBPS later this year. We will update this page when they are announced.

Summary: Your Next Steps

Now: Your payments remain active at R370. Check your dashboard after the 20th of the month for your payment date.
Until 31 March 2027: The grant is funded at R370 per month.
After March 2027: The President has said the grant will continue in redesigned form, but no funding or start date has been confirmed.
Watch for: Announcements in the MTBPS on the redesign, and any new SASSA notices on application or verification rules.

SASSA has not announced any new application rules for the current extension. Until it does, keep checking your status every month as usual.

📌 Check Your Dashboard: Paydays are individual. Always review your portal after the 20th of the month. Check Your SRD Status Here →

From Temporary Fix to Long-Term Support

Born in May 2020 as a pandemic relief measure for the unemployed, the SRD has become one of South Africa's most debated social safety nets. Civil society groups such as the Black Sash have long campaigned for permanent income support for unemployed adults.

The 2026 announcements show the government intends to keep some form of income support in place, but the shape of that support is still to be decided.

Timeline of Key Events

12 February 2026: SONA. The President says the grant will be continued and redesigned.
25 February 2026: Budget. R36.4 billion allocated to extend the SRD to 31 March 2027 at R370.
1 April 2026: The 12-month extension period begins.
Later in 2026: MTBPS expected to give further details on the redesign.
31 March 2027: Current funding period ends.

Bookmark this page. We will update it as soon as more details on the redesigned grant are confirmed.

The R370 SRD Grant Extended: Everything You Need to Know About the Continuation