UIF TERS payments resume after 24-hour fraud control check

The Unemployment Insurance Fund says it has resumed payments of the Covid-19 TERS benefits after a 24-hour delay, which it says was necessary to address potential fraud.

This came after the auditor-general's office, as part of a wider Covid-19 audit in state organs, “observed some control deficiencies and anomalies” in the online payment system.

“The suspension of payments is not a new thing to the fund. We do it all the time when we pick up anomalies that increase risk or expose us to potential fraud. There are instances where at the behest of our internal audit and risk management units, we have stopped payments to certain companies when certain deficiencies had been identified. This is part of our governance framework. Therefore, as the AG 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,” said Teboho Maruping, the UIF commissioner.

Maruping appealed for understanding from beneficiaries.

“As the UIF management, we recognise and acknowledge the possible negative affect this might have on millions of workers who depend on these cash injections. That is why we appeal to our contributors to bear with us because these intermissions are designed to make the fund stronger so that it can continue doing its work of providing sustenance to workers in their time of need,” he said.