The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) provides crucial financial support to workers who have lost income due to various circumstances.
The Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) is meant to provide financial relief to people who were unable to work or had to work shorter hours due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Department of Employment and Labour is warning clients not to pay third-party individuals for services offered by the UIF. This includes paying people to apply for UIF TERS benefits or claim them on your behalf.
Limpopo Deputy Director of Beneficiary Services, Ronet Landman says that the UIF will not accept or pay UIF benefits to third-party individuals.
She explained that by the time the UIF receives these types of claims, the information pertaining to salaries and hours worked has changed.
Landman says that all the UIF’s services are free and should all the required documentation be provided, the fund will then be able to pay beneficiaries.
Director of Limpopo UIF, Vuledzani Mulindi says that failed declarations as well as failing to contribute to the Fund is causing delays in the payment of benefits.
He said, "Our officials cannot pay incomplete applications. We rely on employers to send the necessary documentation so that we can finalise payments”.
A total of R1.6 billion was paid for TERS benefits between April 2021 and January 2022 in Limpopo. This, as the province received more than 173 000 TERS applications since April 2020.
Of this, 147 659 payments have been processed, resulting in the payment of 7 839 employers and 150 099 employees.