UIF claims now paid within 24 to 48 hours – Nxesi

The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has vowed to ensure that outstanding payments are promptly processed, and to date, they have paid out R16.5 billion in Covid-19 temporary employee/employer relief scheme (Ters).

The department of employment and labour said on Monday the fund was making progress on its promise to capture and process May Covid-19 relief benefit applications.

A total of R1 billion had already been processed for payment for 252,378 workers represented by 26,648 employers on Monday.

The department’s minister, Thulas Nxesi, said: “As we indicated when we addressed the country last Friday, we are committed to ensuring that to the extent possible, the department, through the UIF, plays its role in shielding workers from the worst effects of the pandemic.

“We are doing this by providing cash payments to workers who may have found themselves in the lurch as a result of lockdown. The payments have been significant in saving at least 3 million workers from poverty.”

The UIF system was overwhelmed in the initial stages of applications from employers seeking relief, Nxesi said the new enhanced system has improved turn around time.

“I have been assured that we would realise significant improvements in terms of payment turnaround time from claim submission. Already, with all the information supplied, the UIF was able to pay some claims in 24 hours at best or 48 at worst, which is far more from when we started around April 16, “said Nxesi.

About 3.2 million workers represented by 279,111 employers have benefitted from the UIF’s R16.5 billion.

(Compiled by Sandisiwe Mbhele)

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