Forthcoming Project

Covid-19 and Social Grants 

advocacy agenda

universal basic inome.

During the devastating spread of Covid-19 around the globe, the South African Government launched several new Covid-19 grants to help those worst affected by poverty and unemployment. Their flagship grant, the Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant, targeted 19 to 59 year olds with little or no income, who had been excluded by previous social assistance programs. They also introduced a Caregivers Grant for adults caring for children under 18, who were already receiving child support and foster care grants. Delivering these new granst during a pandemic, while vitally necessary, came with many new challenges and exclusions. Based on extensive interviews around the country, the Black Sash, Engenas Senona, Wanga Zembe and I have explored these challenges and will be publishing our results in early 2021. We will use this report as a tool to advocate for universal basic income.

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