No R1.2k grant for HIV patients, says health department

2026-03-07 - 16:23

The national Department of Health has denied that people living with HIV/Aids will start receiving a monthly grant of R1 200 per month. In a statement released on Saturday, 7 March 2026, the department’s spokesperson, Foster Mohale, confirmed that this is fake news. According to some posts on social media, these grant payments were expected to begin in May. “This is false and misleading information, and the public is, therefore, advised to always fact-check or verify information received through social media, with reliable and credible sources before sharing. “Thus, people living with HIV are urged to ignore this fake news but continue to take a lifesaving treatment available freely in public health facilities to live longer and healthier. “This is also important for preventing HIV from multiplying and reducing the risk of drug resistant and treatment failure,” said Mohale. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana last month delivered his 2026 budget speech. There was also no mention of a grant that would be directed towards patients with HIV/Aids. ALSO READ: Gauteng gains ground in the fight against TB Social grants increase According to Godongwana, social grants remain a top government priority. R2.67 trillion will be spent in the 2026/2027 fiscal year, with R292.8 billion of the total amount going towards social grants. The planned increases include: Old age, disability, and care dependency grants: R80 increase to R2 400 from April War veterans grant: R80 increase to R2 420 Foster care grant: R1 290 in April (R40 increase) and R1 300 in October (R10 increase) Child support and grant-in-aid grants: R20 increase to R580 READ MORE: Senior health official ‘steps aside’ after arrest on corruption charges Godongwana confirmed that the social relief of distress (SRD) grant will remain unchanged throughout the coming year. He had previously announced during the MTBPS that the grant is set to continue until March 2027. Introduced during the Covid‐19 pandemic, the R370 SRD grant provides temporary support to unemployed adults who do not already receive other social grants. Additional reporting by Molefe Seeletsa