COVID-19 and Unemployment Insurance Fund Ters
By: Lotshiwe Ntuli
Email: plotshiwe@gmail.com
Twitter: @LotshiwePortia
The South African government introduced a temporary relief measure to assist workers who lost income due to the Covid-19 related lockdowns. However, workers who applied for this relief may not receive money due to mistakes made in the application process.
The Covid-19 pandemic forced people to stay at home, even if it meant losing out on income. While the government made provision to assist workers who lost income due to lockdown and to assist those who didn’t claim some workers struggle to access this relief.
The department of labor in Gauteng and the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has called on business employers in Pretoria Soshanguve with unpaid Covid-19 Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) claims to correct errors in the system in order to finalize outstanding payments.
Mr. Benedict Bholofu a senior practitioner of Unemployed Insurance Fund Department of employment and labour said that they started this drive because they realized that most of their clients are unable to access some of their service especially during the week because they are working. They decided to make use of weekends to assist them.
“We started helping people with the UIF in July, in our service we have service that we provide to the youth, we assist them with carriers employment internships and learner ship. The main service is unemployment insurance fund which is the one that pays out to the benefit to the people who have contributed into their funds. We help people who are dismissed from work or their contracts have expired” said Mr. Benedict.
Tshepo Msiza from Soshanguve who was also inquiring for UIF said, “I was inquiring about UIF and I did get the help but the sister who was helping me said she will call me after seven days.”
Maphifo who was also there to inquire for someone who passed away said she didn’t get help as she thought she will as they told her that she does not qualify to claim the money, they want a spouse to come and claim it.
Mr. Benedict mentioned that lots of beneficiary of death have not yet claimed, the spouse is the first one to qualify for this benefit. The second one is the children, but they can only apply in an event if the sponsor is not available or perhaps the deceased was never married or didn’t have any partner, then children younger than 21 can apply.
Children over 21 but under 25 can apply only if they are still studying. If the deceased doesn’t have a spouse or partner or child, the law allows you to nominate any person of your choice it can be anyone in the family and the signed document of the deceased is needed.
Mishell Magkakwe is a communication manager in the Department of Labor said that the reasons why there are in Soshanguve is to make sure that all Soshanguve residents have access to their into their labour service.
“We have realized that in the midst of Covid-19 and lockdown until now there are people that were not serviced and we are here to make sure that everyone get assistance,” he added.
He further added that everyone who has problems with UIF related matters they can come to their offices and they will get assistance. He further added, “We also help those who are unemployed, they can come to register as job seekers, we help them free of change.”
It is important to note that Ters benefits can claim their money as long as they have all the documents needed in the labour offices. This means applicants cannot be rejected from receiving TERS benefits if they did not make contributions to the UIF.
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