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July/august TERS claims open next week

- PATSY BEANGSTROM NEWS EDITOR

THE UNEMPLOYME­NT Insurance Fund (UIF) will open and start processing the July/august Covid-19 Temporary Employer/employee Relief Scheme (TERS) benefits applicatio­ns from next week.

This follows the signing of the new direction on the extended period of benefits by Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi on Tuesday.

According to the new direction, an employer or employee may claim Covid-19 TERS benefits for the extension period, starting from July 1, 2020 until August 15 ,2020.

The new directives cover the following categories of employees whose employers are: not permitted to commence operations under the Disaster Management Regulation­s; unable to make alternativ­e arrangemen­ts for vulnerable workers, such as working from home or taking special measures under the OHS Direction to protect them; and unable to make use of their services because of operationa­l requiremen­ts caused by compliance with the Regulation­s and Directions such as rostering, staggering working hours, short time and the introducti­on of shift systems.

The applicatio­n process remains the same for the extension period and all claims must be lodged via the online portal https://uifecc.labour.gov.za/ covid19/ or www.labour.gov.za

“As with previous claim processes, to apply in the new period, employers are required to upload similar documentat­ion that include signed approval or acceptance letter, bank confirmati­on letter, proof of payment to employees and refund to the UIF – if applicable,” UIF commission­er Teboho Maruping said yesterday.

In keeping with strict governance principles, Maruping said they would still subject payments to bank verificati­on prior to releasing the funds into the applicant’s accounts.

“The immediate past has taught us that even under the pandemic, criminals are at large and looking to benefit through their nefarious means. We have an obligation to do everything in our power to ensure that the funds are not paid into the incorrect accounts.

“UIF will issue a letter to employers who have applied for Covid-19 TERS benefits outlining the process to be followed when making applicatio­ns for the extension period, and will also update the Frequently Asked Questions document to serve as a quick reference for applicants,” Maruping said.

The updated FAQS, new direction and explanator­y memo will be available on the department’s website www.labour.gov.za

The new direction and the extension have been subject to robust discussion with social partners at the National Economic Developmen­t and Labour Council (Nedlac), and they have agreed that the cut-off date for the applicatio­n window for April and May will be September 15, 2020.

“All new applicatio­ns for these periods must be uploaded on or before this date to qualify for processing and payment. Existing claims will remain open for correction­s and finalisati­on beyond this date.

“Employers who experience technical difficulty in creating or accessing their profile should immediatel­y contact the department’s call centre 0800 030 007 for assistance. A reference number will be issued that will enable resolution follow-up and, in the event of non-resolution by applicatio­n cut-off date, it will serve as evidence of efforts to comply within the time frame,” Maruping explained.

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