Covid-19 Updates

UIF to pay workers directly into their personal accounts

The labour department said workers will now be paid directly by the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) as it works to upgrade its online application system for the relief scheme benefit.

Since the start of the process last month, more than 200,000 claims have been processed from employers.

Companies that had to shut their doors due to the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown were assisted to pay worker’s salaries through the scheme.

Up until recently, the UIF funneled the money to companies that subsequently made the payments to their employees.

The Makhosonke Buthelezi said: “We want to avoid a situation that employees complain that they did not get their monies or that they think employers have given them less than what they deserve. So, a decision was taken that at least in the month of May, we should try and pay directly into the employees’ accounts.

UIF relief

The UIF said it is finalising the testing process of the COVID-19 online application system as it prepares for the new intake of the relief benefit scheme applicants.

About 2.5 million employees have benefited from more than R14 billion paid so far.

Government formulated the Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme to pay employees placed on annual leave from losing income.m

Buthelezi said they had to reconfigure their system to accommodate new applicants among others.

“The reason for this is that was we [prepare to open it up for May application we need to make sure that it is ready – particularly now that we are considering paying directly into the employee’s account.”

EWN