The big question: Covid-19 and policy support for a basic income grant

Abstract

For more than two decades, successive South African administrations have been reluctant to support a basic income grant/guarantee (BIG), also termed universal basic income (UBI) or basic income support (BIS), even for chronically poor unemployed citizens. However, a milestone was achieved in April 2020 with the introduction of a monthly R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant to assist these South Africans during the COVID-19 pandemic and national lockdown.