The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has extended the dates for processing new claims for the Covid-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) for the April to September timeframe, following consultations with social partners at the National Economic Development and Labour Council.
The new closing dates are final, with the UIF stating that no further applications for that period will be accepted beyond the respective closing dates.
Covid-19 TERS benefit applications for March to May will close on September 25, while benefit applications for June will close on October 15.
Covid-19 TERS benefit applications for July to September 15 will close on October 30.
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 UIF.
Currently, payments are still on hold as the fund is still working with the Department of Home Affairs and other government databases to verify about five-million identity documents of Covid-19 TERS applications.
The UIF states that this is being done to ensure that payments are made to deserving and authentic workers. The UIF also states that an announcement will be made in due course about when it will resume payments.
Acting UIF commissioner Marsha Bronkhorst says the fund is 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.”