This comes after the Fund was in recent weeks exposed to opportunistic elements. Due to the introduction of the new safety and security changes, the Fund has had to delay payments. “However, over the weekend, it resumed payments and disbursed R 372 million of COVID-19 Temporary Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) benefit claims,” said the Fund in a statement on Tuesday.

The payment covered claims for April and May lodged by 15 866 employers benefiting 78 283 employees for whose banking details passed the verification process. Further payments were done on Tuesday with some R295-million paid out from 1 824 employers benefiting 76 078 workers. This brings the total paid to date since April 16, to just under R30-billion (R 29 726 359 618.48) covering 6 789 695 workers from 539 953 employers.

Measures introduced

As part of the new control measures, the Fund has also introduced a new rule to the system that requires applicants to insert either their enterprise number (CK/CIPC) or the ID number of the bank account holder in the TERS Online portal. This has been introduced in order to further verify banking details against the authorised claimant.

“This requirement which may seem onerous is critical to ensure banking details are verified before any TERS payment is authorised. Failure to populate the system properly will, unfortunately, lead to more delays in the payment process,” said UIF Commissioner Teboho Maruping.