The Department of Employment and Labour in Limpopo has warned its clients to shy away from paying third parties money to claim or apply for Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) benefits on their behalf hoping the department will prioritise them.
"Do not pay third parties money to claim/apply for UIF benefits on your behalf. Departmental officials will not accept or prioritise them,” Limpopo Deputy Director of Beneficiary Services, Ronet Landman, said.
Landman was speaking at a media briefing on Wednesday to provide an update on the COVID-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (COVID-19-TERS) and normal benefits paid in Limpopo during the 2021/2022 financial year.
This was in response to client reports of agencies soliciting money from them, while promising quick claim processing.
Landman said UIF services are free and can be paid on time if all required documents are submitted to the department. She said delays in paying claims on time are frequently the result of employers failing to declare their employees or properly updating information.
"We urge employers not to give their employees the UI19 form because by the time it reaches our desks, a lot of information, such as salary and hours worked, has changed,” she said.
The department encouraged employers to use the online uFiling system because the department has dedicated staff across the province to help employers navigate the system.
Director of Limpopo UIF, Vuledzani Mulindi, said delays are also due to employers failing to declare or contribute to the fund.
"Our officials cannot pay incomplete applications. We rely on employers to send the necessary documentation so that we can finalise payments,” Mulindi explained.
The department encouraged clients to check their status with the fund and if they discover that they are not registered, they must report this to the nearest Labour Centre for intervention and compliance enforcement.
According to the department, a total of R1.6 billion was paid for TERS benefits between April 2021 and January 2022 in Limpopo.
The total number of TERS applications received from the province since April 2020 is 173 080, which resulted in 147 659 payments processed, 7 839 employers and 150 099 employees paid.
Meanwhile, Occupational Health and Safety Specialist, Carol Mthethwa, reflected on the 2021/2022 workplace inspections that were conducted to check and enforce compliance with labour laws.
She said a total of 15 072 inspections were conducted in all sectors.
The department alluded to client complaints about the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) grant, stating that most clients are unable to access it because their names appear on the department's UIF system.
“It is unfortunate. However, the department's officials cannot remove a client from its system without written confirmation from the employer,” the department said. – SAnews.gov.za
