Campaign asks Parliament to raise old-age grant to R3,000
The Math is not Mathing campaign wants the old-age grant raised from R2,400 to R3,000 a month, a R600 increase. Geraldine Prinsloo made the call at public hearings on the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement.
Parliament's Standing and Select Committees on Finance hosted the hearings. Prinsloo presented for Math is not Mathing, an independent public interest initiative. She said pensioners cannot make ends meet and must pay for medical care because state facilities are overcrowded.
Prinsloo said Treasury must show evidence of how it expects pensioners to live on R2,400 a month. She asked: "After food, electricity, accommodation, transport and medication, can we please explain to the South African elderly how they are expected to live on R2 400 per month?"
Other civil society groups challenged how Treasury will spend the R38 billion in savings across government departments, announced in the mid-term budget. Family for Children said the money should help families raise their children. Its spokesperson Patricia Martin said parenting support across a life course is the most developmental use of the cash.
Lobbyists for a universal basic income grant said the government has no plan to convert the R370 social relief of distress grant. They said it has not risen with inflation.
Key facts
- Who
- Geraldine Prinsloo (Presenter on behalf of Math is not Mathing); Math is not Mathing (Independent public interest initiative that made the proposal); Parliament's Standing and Select Committees on Finance (Hosted the public hearings on the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement); Enoch Godongwana (Finance minister)
- What
- At public hearings on the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement hosted by Parliament's Standing and Select Committees on Finance, Geraldine Prinsloo, presenting for the group Math is not Mathing, asked government to raise the current R2 400 old-age pension grant to R3 000 per month.
- When
- 28 October 2026
- Where
- South Africa
- Status
- Reported