KZN UIF resumes payments to former teaching and general assistants

The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) this week resumed processing and paying unemployment benefits to former teaching and general assistants in KwaZulu-Natal.

They were employed as part of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative, implemented countrywide to reduce youth unemployment.

When their contracts ended, the former employees qualified for UIF benefits.

Due to the large volume of claims anticipated and to prevent long queues at labour centres, the UIF in KwaZulu-Natal met the provincial education department and agreed on a consolidated approach.

This included the department availing venues, while the fund confirmed compliance of the former workers in terms of their employment history, declarations and contributions.

The UIF said the campaign started in the Amajuba district municipality in November last year, with the fund disbursing R7.7m to 1,746 former educator and general assistants.

It proceeded to eThekwini in December, where R28.8m was paid out to 6,204 beneficiaries.

“To date, R36.5m has been paid out to 7,950 clients,” UIF spokesperson in KwaZulu-Natal Nhlanhla Khumalo said on Tuesday.

This week the fund will process and pay out claims in the following Zululand district municipalities:

January 11 and 12: Masibumbane High School in Ulundi;

January 13, 16 and 17: Bhekuzulu High School in Nongoma; 

January 18 and 19: Pongola Akademie;

January 20: Paulpietersburg Primary School.

Claims were processed and paid out at Nuwe Republiek Primary School in Vryheid on Monday and Tuesday.

“Clients are urged to bring their identity or valid passport documents, a fully charged smartphone with data and proof of account (banking details),” Khumalo said.

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