Relief as Ters payments resume after delay

PAYMENTS of the Covid-19 Ters benefits have resumed after a 24-hour “delay” caused by “anomalies in the system” which had caused panic on social media, according to UIF officials.

They were responding to queries sparked by a post on Tuesday from the National Employers Association of SA (Neasa) which had said the Employment and Labour Department had suspended all Ters payments that were currently outstanding.

UIF spokesperson Makhosonke Buthelezi said the anomalies had been spotted as part of a wider Covid-19 audit in state organs.

“The fund was also subjected to an audit by the auditor-general. The A-G team had observed some control deficiencies and anomalies in the system, which prompted us to delay payments to address them,” said Buthelezi.

UIF commissioner Teboho Maruping said: “The suspension of payments is not a new thing to the fund. We do it all the time when we pick up certain anomalies that increase risk or expose us to potential fraud.

“As the A-G performs its own audit and they make certain observations, we address them on the spot, and sometimes we have to stop our activities to correct the situation as we did with the 24-hour suspension,” said Maruping.

“In this instance, the suspension was necessitated by the need to address some control deficiencies in the Covid Ters online payment system. This is the usual step whereby if the UIF picks up problems whether in relation to governance or to further stress-test and enhance the system, the payments get suspended…

“We recognise the possible negative impact this might have had on millions of workers who rely on the Covid Ters benefit for income. That is why we would like to appeal to our contributors to bear with us because these intermissions are designed to make the fund stronger so it can continue… providing sustenance to workers in their time of need.”

The fund was also subjected to an audit by the auditor-general Makhosonke Buthelezi UIF SPOKESPERSON