All permanent social grants will increase in the next financial year, while the COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant will remain at R370 per month.
This was announced in the 2026 Budget Review released by National Treasury on Wednesday.
According to the budget, the old age grant will increase from R2 315 to R2 400, while the war veterans grant will rise from R2 335 to R2 420. The disability grant and care dependency grant will both increase from R2 315 to R2 400.
The foster care grant will go up from R1 250 to R1 295, while the child support grant and grant-in-aid will increase from R560 to R580.
Treasury confirmed that the SRD grant will remain at R370, with funding extended until 31 March 2027. An additional R36.4 billion has been allocated to continue payments at the current level.
Social grants remain the largest component of spending within the social development budget. Excluding the SRD grant, expenditure is projected to increase from R246.6 billion in 2025/26 to R276.5 billion in 2028/29. However, Treasury noted that the overall allocation has been adjusted downward over the medium term due to a lower inflation outlook and improved grant targeting and verification. These measures are expected to yield savings of R2 billion in 2026/27 and R1 billion in 2027/28.
The overall social development budget is set to grow by 4.2%, increasing from R412.2 billion in 2025/26 to R466.4 billion in 2028/29. Treasury said this funding supports poverty reduction through social grants, social insurance benefits, welfare services and development programmes, including initiatives focused on gender equality and support for children, youth, the elderly and people with disabilities.
No tags for this post.
