After getting off to a slow start, the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) said today, it has paid out more than R4, billion to workers and employers affected by COVID-19.
The UIF said in a statement it has paid just over R5-billion (R5 080 350 404.01) in combined normal and COVID-19 benefits since April 16.
Of the R5 billion paid out to date, R4.1bn are payments related to COVID-19 and just under R1 billion is normal UIF benefits.
UIF commissioner, Teboho Maruping, said the organisation has tweaked its systems to ensure that more pertinent information is available on its online platform.
“At some stage, it looked like our system could not handle the overwhelming interest but we are happy that we have managed to meet the demand and pay in record time – with some people indicating that they have been paid within 24-hours of lodging the claims,” Maruping said.
Amongst the changes made by the UIF is that employers, employees and organised labour will now be able to see which companies have been paid.
However, Maruping said claims by some 55 169 employers representing 361 557 workers are still in abeyance pending submission of further particulars by employers.
“This means that these workers are missing out on one and a half billion rand (R 1 469 123 104.45) and the Department of Employment and Labour has appealed again to employers to help with further information.”
