HOW TO GET YOUR DUE
LONG before Covid-19 entered our vocabulary, the unemployment rate in South Africa was already devastatingly high.
And now during a lock-down that’s decimated the country’s economy, many have lost their jobs or are waiting to hear their fate, or they know someone who’s lost their livelihood.
But there’s a lifeline in the form of the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s Covid-19 Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (TERS).
We fill you in on everything you need to know about claiming both from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and TERS.
WHO QUALIFIES FOR UIF AND TERS?
UIF
All workers who’ve contributed to the UIF qualify for UIF benefits if they lose their job, provided they’ve worked more than 24 hours a month, labour lawyer Craig Berkowitz says.
You must also register with the department of labour as a job seeker and you must apply for UIF benefits within six months of the termination of your employment.
“The only people who aren’t entitled to UIF include members of parliament, cabinet ministers, members of provincial legislatures and municipal councillors,” Berkowitz says.
TERS
All contributors to the UIF whose jobs have been affected as a direct result of Covid-19 are entitled to claim from TERS, says Caleb Asiedu of labour law experts Maphosa Attorneys.
Once your office is
