DURBAN - THE Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) said that by yesterday it had paid R6.4million to 1402 workers affected by the July unrest in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
Payments are part of the UIF’s Workers Affected By The Unrest (Wabu) scheme.
The UIF said there were some employers who had made claims to insurance companies, but still applied to UIF for the Wabu benefit. It said these applications were rejected.
UIF acting commissioner advocate Mzie Yawa said the fund had received more than 16 000 worker applications for the Wabu benefit from 500 employers. “From the 500 employer applications received, we have paid 1402 workers, which is not a great number considering that 16 000 workers have applied. We are, however, not worried about this seemingly low number as it shows the robustness of our verification process, and ensures only those who meet our standards are fit for payment.”
Yawa added that the experience and lessons learnt from paying out Covid-19 Temporary Employer/ Employee Relief Scheme (Ters) payments enabled the UIF to initiate a thorough verification process in the Wabu benefit scheme.
“We have also noted that some employers have used false SAPS case numbers, but luckily our system can pick up through checks that the cases are not genuine. We urge all to act honestly; this is money for vulnerable workers, not get-rich-quick schemes.”
Yawa said some of the payments had not been processed due to incorrect information being supplied. “We still have payments that bounce back due to incorrect banking details, and we again appeal to employers to ensure that they supply us with the correct bank accounts of their workers.”
Yawa added that some applications were rejected due to genuine mistakes by employers, and these would be raised with the business owners to make the necessary corrections so employees don’t lose benefits.
Yawa added that the UIF benefit is calculated at a flat rate of R3 500 and is paid directly into the worker’s account.
“The benefit is de-linked from the UIF’s normal benefits, which means workers’ accumulated credits are not used to calculate the benefit amount payable to the beneficiary. This will enable workers who have no credits to receive financial support while their workplaces are in the process of rebuilding or reopening.”
THE MERCURY