Employers called to resolve Covid-19 Ters errors
“Failure to do this within a month from now, may result in the application considered closed,” said Yawa.
The Unemployment Insurance Fund has appealed to employers to resolve errors on their Covid-19 temporary employer/employee relief scheme (Ters) portal to finalise any outstanding claims.
The UIF has been unable to pay-out claims until certain corrections were effected and that can only be done by the applicants, according to the fund.
The UIF aims to rapidly decrease the number of outstanding claims and close them by the end of December 2021, as they could not remain open indefinitely.
Acting UIF commissioner advocate Mzie Yawa said the UIF had done all it needed to and the onus was now on the qualifying claimants.
Yawa said employers had to note the self-explanatory error messages on the Covid-19 Ters portal, which provided info as to why claims were unsuccessful.
“It further advises the applicant on action they need to take to resolve an error.”
ALSO READ: CET lecturers demand standard contracts
He said since the inception of the relief scheme in March 2020, the UIF had successfully made multiple payments totalling R63-billion in 14 292 888 payments to employees from 786 972 applications received from employers.
“We have observed that most Covid-19 Ters payments are unsuccessful due to employers or their representatives failing to follow the application procedures correctly.
“The application platform provides error messages and guides employers on what they need to do to correct mistakes,” said Yawa.
He said the UIF appreciated efforts by among others Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union and National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa who heeded their plea to talk to their employers.
“This has helped to have most of their issues resolved.
“We urge all unions and employers whose workers have not been paid to correct the errors or causes of non-payment as they appear on our portal, and resubmit corrected applications so payments can be finalised.
“Failure to do this within a month from now, may result in the application considered closed
He said the quantum of outstanding payments was a major concern for both The National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) partners and UIF.
A project team had been formed to find solutions for the most common errors relating to specific UIF process of compliance or audit/risk issue.
“The most common errors that the team will be focusing on fall within the following broad categories: declarations, incorrect banking details, incorrect income, invalid identity and passport numbers.
“The project will involve reaching out to employers through various communication mechanisms, improved customer interface on Covid-19 Ters portal, and vigorous compliance drive.”
He said the UIF was still verifying applications for the workers affected by unrest relief scheme.
“To date, 255 applications have been received since the opening for applications towards the end of August 2021. Payments shall be made as soon as these pass the verification process.
“People should appreciate that efforts must be taken to curb the Ters fraud we encountered. It is, therefore, necessary for us to take extra precaution when we process claims for the unrest relief scheme to prevent fraudulent acts from recurring,” Yawa said.
* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news
Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. A
s you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online.
Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed.
Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
