The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has paid out a staggering figure of almost half a billion Rand to workers from the Northern Cape province.
A total of 43 433 workers received money from the UIF's Covid-19 Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (TERS), which was introduced to support workers who lost income during the Covid-19 pandemic.
These latest figures were revealed by the UIF's Commissioner, Teboho Maruping, at the Department of Employment and Labour's provincial office in Kimberley, on the morning of 14 March 2023.
Maruping announced that a total of R488 billion was disbursed to workers located in the Northern Cape, arising from 3 202 Covid-19 TERS applications, that the UIF received from employers.
"The top 10 employer sectors in the Northern Cape province that received the lion's share of the R488 billion for their workers are personal services; trade; mining; construction; hospitality; professional services; agriculture; educational services; and iron and steel," stated the Department.
Since the Covid-19 TERS scheme was launched in March 2020 during the first lockdown, the UIF has paid out R62 billion to around 5 million workers to date.
According to Maruping, no cases of fraud were discovered as with previous disbursements, and added that Forensic Auditors of the UIF have been auditing companies within the Northern Cape to ensure that the correct amounts of money were paid to beneficiaries at the right time.
"Our Forensic Auditors have been on the ground across the Northern Cape province as part of the 'follow the money' project and have thus far not detected any Covid-19 TERS fraud," said Maruping, who called the news "pleasing and refreshing".
For those employers who refused to cooperate with the auditors, consequences have been put in place. According to Smiso Nkosi, these include:
- Referral to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU)
- Refund the whole Covid-19 TERS funds
- Employers potentially becoming blocked from the UIF's services
- Employers potentially becoming blacklisted from doing business with the UIF
This is not the first time the UIF has paid out such an enormous amount of money. Last year, over the festive season, the Fund paid out another R1 billion in benefits to qualifying recipients.
Maruping also reiterated that the fund is committed to ensuring UIF beneficiaries and contributors are provided with social security which is in line with their constitutional right to social security.
The UIF plans to improve its service delivery to its clients and stakeholders, especially to those living remotely, by enhancing their Information and Communications Technology systems and launching a data free mobile app, a free USSD system and other platforms.
Free WIFI and fully functioning busses is to be provided by the UIF at labour centres, to provide some of the province's most remote citizens with transportation to and from UIF stations.
Maruping has commended UIF officials around the country who have worked hard to ensure that workers received their benefit payments.