Claiming benefits ‘has been hell’
PAYROLL: EMPLOYERS SAY GOAL POSTS KEEP CHANGING
There is light at the end of the tunnel as commissioner says April claims can be submitted in May.
no fewer than six times since 4 April. To date she has received one payment of R4 000.
In the first round, she submitted applications via e-mail. She uploaded hundreds of documents, as required by the department, only to be told that the files containing her employees’ details had to be converted from Excel to a CSV (comma-separated values) file.
When she resubmitted the documents she was told she should not do so via e-mail, but that everything should be done via the online portal created for Ters applications.
“This process has been hell. It’s like they have too many consultants who keep changing the process because they themselves do not know how it is supposed to work.”
Minister lambasted
A businesswoman from Centurion, who had to secure a loan to pay her 20 staff members at the end of April, lambasted a statement from Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi that employers are not doing enough to assist employees to claim UIF benefits.
She said they had assisted workers in filling in forms they were supposed to e-mail to the UIF. Then the plans changed, and the employer had to submit a mountain of documents to claim on behalf of their employees.
After jumping through all the old and new hoops, her application was rejected.
She sent an e-mail and phoned every possible number. No response. She tried to resubmit her application. After about 20 attempts to gain access to the website, she gave up.
She secured a loan.
“I am angry,” she says. “When they get on television to tell us about their scheme it sounds as if the process is fluid. It sounds like they have the process waxed – but they do not.”
Despondent
The owner of an estate agency says that the constant changes appear to be nothing other than moving the goalposts.
The hassle becomes too much and people just give up, he says.
Those still trying are faced with even more frustration when the UIF website crashed two days before the April month-end.
Faith Ngwenya, technical and standards executive at the South African Institute of Professional Accountants (Saipa), says the institute was in contact with the UIF commissioner about the inability of its members to gain access to the Ters online application website.
Saipa confirmed with the UIF commissioner that employers can continue with their April claims, even if the applications are only submitted in May.
These will still be paid as per the April claim and will not impact the May payment.