Minister denies UIF Ters benefits extended to next month

The department of employment and labour has refuted claims that the unemployment insurance fund (UIF) temporary employer-employee relief scheme (Ters) has been extended until next month.

This after media reports stated that: “The minister of employment and labour has announced the extension of the Covid-19 temporary employer-employee relief scheme until 15 November 2020.”

But this was not true, said Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi.

“No statement has been made by me or my department on this matter. Any decision on an extension would be made only after extensive engagement with government, Nedlac (National Economic Development and Labour Council) and the UIF itself,” the minister said in a statement.

“I remain concerned at the publication of this false report and I hope that it will be immediately corrected,”

ALSO READ: More UIF Ters applications to be processed this week

Meanwhile, 157 Ters cases were either still pending or allocated for investigation by the Special Investigating Unit, said Nxesi this week.

Responding to questions from members of the National Council of Provinces on Tuesday, he said these cases involved companies and individuals who were suspected of wrongdoing, including claims from “ghost employees”.

“As of October 9, since the beginning of lockdown, more than R49 billion had been disbursed in benefits in the form of more than 11 million payments. These benefits were disbursed across all provinces, roughly in proportion to demographics and economic activity,” he said.

“In Gauteng, R23 billion was disbursed in five million payments, and in the Northern Cape R484 million was disbursed in just over 100 000 payments. All other provinces fell in between.”

ALSO READ: Private: UIF running out of money

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