The UIF COVID-19 fund has received applications for 1.75 million workers.
The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has processed 59,000 applications for UIF payments during the lockdown, reports Moneyweb. Since the start of the COVID-19 lockdown, the UIF has paid out R4.4 billion to 1.1 million workers.
On 30 April, the Department of Employment and Labour released an update on the COVID-19 Temporary Employee Relief Scheme, COVID-19 TERS.
Although a FAQ by the Department of Employment and Labour and the UIF stated the deadline for applications was 30 April, application would remain open for the next few months.
Thobile Lamati, the Director-General of Employment and Labour, said:
“We would like to make it clear that we have not reached the deadline yet. The period will depend on the Memorandum of Understanding signed, but it shall not exceed 3 months, which is the period given for the Covid-19 TERS relief benefit.”
Lamati said he was worried about the large number of incomplete applications. There are more than 300,000 workers who might not be able to claim UIF payments because of missing details. Lamati said they were waiting for employers to complete these applications.
The UIF hopes its online application portal will speed up the process.
Employers and workers can access the following information online:
The names of companies that have been paid. The UIF introduced this feature because they received many queries from workers about the status of the company’s COVID-19 TERS applications.
The schedule of each approved claim, so employers can check how much each employee will get paid.
Thulas Nxesi, the Minister of Labour, said too few companies were applying for the COVID-19 UIF payments. Nxesi was speaking at a media briefing on 28 April, reports IOL.
“We are not paying the whole amount. We pay 38% because it is a relief and we had budgeted for a period of three months. We pay according to the payroll submitted. 20 000 workers entitled to pay have not done so. Some employers have not even dared to help their employees,” said Nxesi.
If you want more information on the COVID-19 UIF funds, read our blog post on applying for the UIF payments.
