How dire is the situation of poverty? Frye explains that we are in an incredibly serious situation, and that 13 million people were living in hunger before the Social Relief of Distress Grant issuing, 3 million of which being children. Frye also reiterates that unemployment has skyrocketed.

“We need a deep structural turn around.” – Isobel Frye adds.

We are looking at two distinct issues; one being the humanitarian response which is the R350 Social Relief of Distress grant and the second issue being that of the Caregivers grant.

A Basic income grant is here to argue that we need a permanent grant to maintain a decent standard of living. We are looking at the humanitarian and longer term stimulus, which includes positive cycles of economic growth, highlighting that spending produces production through demand.

“The Studies in Poverty and inequality Institute regularly develops policy papers and engages with NEDLAC, there is a huge amount of appetite for the huge empiric evidence that we are making.” Frye mentions. The announcement that we’re waiting for on the basic income grant is something that can and should be done. Our research is towards economic growth, the establishment of a basic income grant provides betterment in the lives of those without.

We are getting commitment from the government, and we have been involved with NEDLAC on how to introduce a Basic Income Grant. We are waiting for people to realise that this is off budget expenditure. If you don’t spend, you don’t generate. We need to release money into the stimulus aside from the existing social security budget.

Source: PowerFM