But WHO pays? Fate of SASSA’s R370 dole back in court

More than eight-million South Africans currently receive the South African Social Security Agency’s (SASSA’s) R370 dole, popularly known as Social Relief of Distress (SRD). That sounds like a lot, except, about 1 million South Africans actually qualify for it. The fate of that gap – now 10 million-people wide – sits in front of five judges at the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in Bloemfontein.

The case traces back to a Gauteng High Court ruling in January 2025. It ruled that key parts of SASSA’s R370 dole were, in fact, unconstitutional. Namely, that applications can only be submitted online. And that the definition of ‘income’ used to assess eligibility was too broad. Government was excluding poorer, less digitally connected applicants and unfairly disqualifying them.

SASSA’S R370 DOLE

Government duly appealed the ruling and that argument was heard last week, on Tuesday 2 September 2026. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and top representatives from SASSA all appeared to defend the case. Their advocate, Gilbert Marcus, didn’t dispute the issue of poverty. He simply disputed the idea that the National Treasury has anyway to fix it …

Marcus told the court that extending the grant to the full pool of eligible South Africans, would require between R93 billion and R139 billion in additional social-welfare spending. By 2027, he noted, South Africa will have spent 61% of its entire budget on the social wage. This is the figure covering SASSA grants, healthcare, education and housing combined.

TENS OF MILLIONS MORE APPLICANTS

Moreover, Marcus explained that raising taxes or borrowing more to cover the shortfall is ‘artificial and unsustainable.’ The state also defended the online application system as the most effective way to verify the ‘temporary’ grant that by law. Meanwhile, the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI) believes it is confident in its argument.

SERI’s head of litigation, Nkosinathi Sithole, said: “We are very hopeful that the SCA will dismiss the appeal and uphold the High Court ruling. A Constitutional Court confirmation could ultimately open the grant up to tens of millions more applicants.” Likewise, civil society’s underlying complaint is that SASSA’s R370 dole has not kept pace with inflation since it launched in 2020.

WHO WILL FOOT THE BILL FOR SASSA’S R370 DOLE?

Outside the courtroom, economists are largely aligned with National Treasury’s arithmetic. Citibank economist Gina Schoeman points out that the current 8.3 million recipients already cost the state just under R40 billion a year. Efficient Group’s Dawie Roodt is blunter about where he thinks the blame sits. He calls SASSA’s R370 dole a consequence of following the ‘wrong economic policies.’

Moreover, the SCA’s ruling isn’t expected immediately. And whichever way it goes, an appeal to the Constitutional Court is likely the next stop. What’s not in dispute from either side is that SASSA’s R370 dole was ever going to be enough to end the income support crisis. Ironically, this is occurring at exactly the same time the UK’s dole, or Jobseeker’s Allowance, officially closed its doors in April 2026.

But what do you think? How would you like to see this rectified? If SASSA’s R370 dole shutdown, should more go to ‘core’ grant beneficiaries? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below …