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UIF website crashes due to influx of visitors

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The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) website is currently undergoing technical repair after crashing due to an influx of visitors wanting to process and check COVID-19 claims. The UIF has further indicated that there are no set deadlines for COVID-19 benefit applications or any other claims.

This follows complaints by applicants saying they could not access the website.

UIF Spokesperson Makhosonke Buthelezi says the website will be back in operation soon.

“Well, we do not have a deadline in terms of COVID-19 benefit claims. Remember this benefit is applicable for the period of the lockdown. So, there is no definite deadline. We heard people saying the deadline is tomorrow being the 30th of April. That is definitely not true. We will encourage the clients, employers or employees to keep trying to go onto the system. It is going to be back on again.”

Employers experiencing difficulties when applying on UIF system 

Meanwhile, the National Employers’ Association of South Africa (Naesa) says a large portion of funds, paid out to employees by the UIF  amid the national lockdown, were incorrect amounts. The UIF has paid out R3.3 billion in COVID-19 relief funding since the 27 March.

Government says it has received 103 000 applications from employers, who represent 1.7 million employees.

Naesa Chief Executive, Gerhard Papenfus, says employers are experiencing problems when applying on the UIF system.

“It is extremely difficult for a small guy sitting somewhere in the rural area with a business applying through this system. It must be very frustrating if businesses in the cities and accountants helping businesses are experiencing difficulties. Employers are battling. Less than 30% of those who did apply and receive their monies, 90% of them did not get the right amount. There is a problem with the system and it is not that employers are not applying, they are. Money in respect of one million employees have been paid out but there are 10 million workers in SA. That is a small amount. “

In the video below, UIF commissioner Teboho Maruping explains the UIF claim process : 

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