The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has warned jobseekers to be careful with their identity numbers following a surge in public complaints about bogus employers claiming for Covid-19 TERS benefits and unemployment benefits.
The Department of Employment and Labour said in a statement on Tuesday that most of the complaints emerged when several people applied for the R350 Social Relief of Distress Grant from the South African Social Security Agency.
The applications were declined and the applicants were told that they were already registered with the UIF.
UIF commissioner Teboho Maruping said after receiving complaints, the department’s provincial risk management units launched investigations and have identified some bogus employers.
He added that as part of the fund’s efforts to create employment opportunities and to upskill young people, it has several training programmes under the Labour Activation Programmes (LAP).
“Through LAP, we partner with training institutions that upskill the trainees in various fields such as hospitality, aviation, administration, agriculture, and security amongst others, leading to job opportunities,” said Maruping.
He added that to support the trainees in participating in the programme, the UIF provides a monthly stipend, which is not a salary and should not reflect any UIF deductions.
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