The Covid-19 Ters benefit applications for June 2020 will close on October 15, 2020, while applications for July to September 15, 2020 will close October 30, 2020.
THE UNEMPLOYMENT Insurance Fund (UIF) has extended the processing of new Temporary Employee/Employer Relief Scheme (Ters) benefit claims for April to September.
This follows consultations with social partners at Nedlac.
The extension means that the Covid-19 Ters benefit applications for March 2020 to May 2020 will now close on September 25, 2020.
The Covid-19 Ters benefit applications for June 2020 will close on October 15, 2020, while applications for July to September 15, 2020 will close October 30, 2020.
No further applications for that period will be accepted beyond that date.
“The closing dates will not affect claims that have already been submitted, as they will be processed and paid once the outstanding information is finally submitted to the fund,” the Employment and Labour Department said in a statement on Tuesday.
Currently payments are still on hold as the fund is still working with Home Affairs and other government databases to verify about five million identity documents of Covid-19 Ters applications.
“This is done to ensure that payments are made to deserving and authentic workers,” the department added.
An announcement will be made in due course about when the fund will resume with payments again.
“We are aware of the negative impact this delay has caused and is causing. But in the interests of mitigating the risks which have been identified both by our risk unit and the auditor-general, we unfortunately have to pause payments.
“As soon as we have a sense of comfort with the steps taken, we will announce to the country the resumption of payments,” UIF Acting Commissioner Marsha Bronkhorst added.
