UIF compliance no longer a requirement for COVID-19 financial aid

Previously only workers who were registered and declared on the system by their employers could qualify for the benefit.

JOHANNESBURG - You don’t have to be compliant with the Unemployment Insurance Fund to get financial assistance during the COVID-19 crisis anymore.

Previously only workers who were registered and declared on the system by their employers could qualify for the benefit.

This comes after further amendments were made to the regulations by the Department of Employment and Labour.

The UIF said that workers cannot suffer due to their employers’ failure to meet the requirements of the law.

However, employers will still be expected to prove the working relationships with employers.

UIF Commissioner Teboho Maruping: "It is important that we emphasise that these are conditions beyond the control of the worker but those conditions are in the control of the employer, so it was the duty of the employers to register for UIF, it was the duty of the employer to declare to the UIF, it was the duty of the employer to pay contributions to the UIF but the employer didn't."

The UIF has budgeted over R40 billion to pay out claims, with over two million people benefiting from over R16 billion so far.

Meanwhile, the UIF has also apologised for challenges experienced with their online applications for the relief, saying that the technical problems would result in delays.

For official information about COVID-19 from the Department of Health, please click here.