The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) will this week embark on various activities and campaigns around Gauteng, Western Cape, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces in a concerted effort to take services to the people and improve service standards.
The UIF provides short-term financial relief benefits to qualifying and contributing workers and their beneficiaries.
UIF Commissioner, Teboho Maruping, said the activities conducted by the department across the country are aimed at expediting service delivery and lessening the financial burden on clients who live far from the UIF offices.
“The activities we are conducting around the country, especially those of taking services to the people are part of the UIF’s commitment to expedite service delivery, lessen the financial burden on clients who travel distances to access services and to increase the Fund’s service standards. We are also doing this important work to improve employer compliance with our legislation and to be able to account for money that was paid out to companies as part of the Covid-19 TERS,” Maruping said.
Details of the activities and campaigns are as follows:
Compliance inspections in the Cape Winelands District
From 20-22 February 2023, the UIF’s Employer Audit Services will be conducting business inspections in Worcester, Western Cape Province, to assess and ensure compliance with the Unemployment Insurance Act.
As part of this activity the Fund will provide compliance education to all employers and offer guidance on how to register with the UIF, pay monthly contributions and how to submit monthly declarations easily through the uFiling online platform which is available at https://ufiling.labour.gov.za/
In addition, the Fund will also raise awareness with workers about their rights and responsibilities in respect of the Act.
UIF mobile bus in Gauteng
The UIF’s mobile bus will render services in Ekurhuleni, and in the South-Western parts of Johannesburg in Gauteng Province, from 20-24 February 2023.
The activities will be held as follows:
20-21 February Evaton Mall;
23 February 2023: Birch Acres Mall in Kempton Park;
23 February 2023: Jabulani Mall in Soweto; and
24 February 2023: Evaton Mall.
For benefit claims, clients and beneficiaries are advised to bring along an identity or passport document, completed UI.19 and UI2.8 forms, a salary schedule and a black pen.
Former Teaching and General Assistant Campaign in KwaZulu-Natal
The Fund will deploy a mobile bus to Ilembe and Harry Gwala Districts between 20-24 February 2023 as part of its campaign of paying UIF benefits to former Teaching and General Assistants who were employed in KwaZulu-Natal province, as part of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative.
The bus will render services as follows:
Harry Gwala District:
20 February 2023: Underberg Hall, Woodford Road, Underberg.
21 February 2023: Nonkqubela Primary School, Bhogweni location, Kokstad.
22-23 February 2023: Vukelani Special School, Clydesdale, Umzimkhulu.
24 February 2023: Little Flower Combined School, Peter Hauff Drive, Ixopo.
iLembe District:
20 February 2023: Magongolo primary School, Sonkombe Area.
21 February 2023: Sabuyazi Secondary School (next to Maphumulo Municipal Hall).
22 February 2023: Mandeni Academy Combined School, Frye Road, Mandeni.
23-24 February 2023: Dawn View Primary School, 9 Cato street, Stanger.
For benefit claims, clients are urged to bring along an identity or passport document, a fully charged smartphone with data, a black pen and proof of a valid bank account.
“To enhance the employment prospects, the Department’s Public Employment Services (PES) branch will register the CV’s of former Teaching and General Assistants in the area on the Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA) online system which is accessible at https://essa.labour.gov.za/ for possible jobs,” the department said.
NPO compliance in Mpumalanga
From 21-23 February 2023, the UIF will be educating and interacting with Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) in the province about their compliance with the Unemployment Insurance Act as follows:
21 February 2023: Mthimkhulu Old Age Home in Lynville Township, Witbank;
22 February 2023: Sizabeswele Home for the Aged in Mhluzi, Middelburg; and
23 February 2023: Community Hall in Vezobuhle Village.
Follow the Money Project - Phase 2
Meanwhile, the UIF’s Forensic Auditors will continue to knock on the doors of employers who benefited from the COVID-19 TERS Relief Scheme, to examine their financial records, verify the authenticity of their claims and confirm if the correct amounts of money were paid over to workers, at the right time.
Source: South African Government News Agency