Employers urged to apply to UIF Covid-19 benefit fund for employees
UIF Commissioner Teboho Maruping talks to Refilwe Moloto about how the Unemployment Insurance Fund will be releasing funds to employers to assist employees left cash strapped by the coronavirus lockdown's devastating effect on business.
Unemployment Insurance Fund has a special Covid-19 benefit available and he says employers must apply.
We are pleading with companies to apply for this benefit on behalf of their employees so that we don't clog the UIF system.
Teboho Maruping, Commissioner - UIF
He says they have kept UIF staff away from the labour centres in the interests of their safety so encourages employers to apply on employees behalf to receive the payments for the 21 days.
Maruping says rumours that employees still need to take the form filled out by their employers to a UIF office in person is not true.
Employers should use the automated email covid19ters@labour.gov.za
It walks you through the full process that the company must follow....we have received over 3,900 that we are processing right now.
Teboho Maruping, Commissioner - UIF
It simplifies the process for us - the company has all the employees' details, so we don't have to confirm those. We just transfer the funds to the company and they are able to pay it and it is a similar process that can be audited with ease.
Teboho Maruping, Commissioner - UIF
He says the amount of R30 billion is a technical reserve should all companies be unable to cover salaries for workers but the amount for the Covid-19 fund is R10 billion.
The benefit is paid on a sliding scale, he explains, from 38% of the salary to a maximum threshold of R17, 712 per month.
He says if a company can only pay a percentage of salaries, they can apply to this fund for the remainder to top it up.
We are looking for companies like those. It is an employer-employee relationship and we are looking at ways this relationship can be safeguarded. Any contribution they can make is welcome and encouraged. We will do the calculation and pay the difference.
Teboho Maruping, Commissioner - UIF
He says they are getting the technology up and running smoothly and anticipates payments beginning towards the end of the lockdown.
Listen to all the details in the interview below:
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