UIF ramps up security at Covid-19 relief fund
The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) says it has had to delay payments to Covid-19 relief fund applicants due to the introduction of new safety measures.
The new system will verify applicants’ banking details in order to prevent fraud.
UIF commissioner Teboho Maruping says payments resumed over the weekend and managed to disburse R372 million.
"The payment covered claims for April and May lodged by 15 866 employers benefitting 78 283 employees for whose banking details passed the verification process. Further payments were done on Tuesday with some R295 million paid out from 1824 employers benefitting 76 078 workers.”
Maruping says the fund has been targeted by fraudsters.
“This situation has created a need for us to do an upfront account verification and validation before the payment is made, and we expect this to increase our turnaround time by two days as the accounts are verified and validated to ensure that fraud at the company level is eliminated and reduced as far as possible.”
He says the fund has paid out R1 billion since April.
ALSO READ
Gauteng braces for more icy weather
The South African Weather Service says the cold front, which is expected to drop temperatures to freezing overnight, is currently moving through the Free State. "The cold front is somewhere between Welkom and Bloemfontein and is moving inside the country.