After deliberation with social partners at Nedlac, UIF agreed to open the window for Phase 3 of COVID-19TERS to cover the period between 16 March 2021 till 25 July 2021.
TERS will only be extended for certain categories of employees, being:
- Annexure A employees (Venues hosting auctions, professional sports, social events, concerts and live performances; any industries and businesses that form part of the value chain of the above) will be able to claim for the period 16 March 2021 till 25 July 2021 – claim window to be announced, as such, no claims for this period can be loaded yet. The claim will be for reduced work time or temporary lay-off.
- Annexure B employees (cinemas, theatres, casinos; museums, galleries, libraries and archives; gyms and fitness centres, restaurants, nightclubs, swimming pools, bars, taverns and shebeens; public parks; domestic and international air travel; rail, bus and taxi services, E-hailing services, sale, dispensing, distribution and transportation of Liquor, beaches, dams rivers and lakes, passenger ships, hotels, lodges, B & B’s, timeshare facilities, resorts and guest houses, conferencing, dining, entertainments and bar facilities, International sports, arts and cultural events any industries and businesses that form part of the value chain of the above) will be able to claim from 28 June 2021 till 25 July 2021 – claim window for both SA citizens and foreign nationals opened on the 19th of July 2021. The claim will be for reduced work time or temporary lay-off.
If an employee falls under both annexure A and B, for example, a hotel that host large conferences or a lodge that offer B & B’s and venues for hire, it is advised to claim under Annexure A and not Annexure B.
For the extension period, employers will still apply on behalf of their employees, but the funds will be paid directly into the account of the employee. Employers will have to obtain the banking details of their employees, which will be verified. If the details fail the verification process, no payments will be made until the employer corrected the banking details.
Ex gratia payments, advances and leave should not be included in the column for “Remuneration earned for hours worked”. Only the actual monthly salary for one month, not the whole claim period.
Employees in all other sectors will still be able to claim if:
- They were in quarantine/self-isolated;
- Over 60 and could not be accommodated;
- Has co-morbidities and could not be accommodated;
These employees (SA citizens, foreign nationals/asylum seekers) will have to be registered on the National Institute of Occupational Health website at https://ohss.nioh.ac.za. If they are not registered, they will not be able to claim.
All other employees will be able to claim UIF benefits through the normal UIF application process either manually or via the uFiling online portal.
Visit our website for assistance regarding the TERS extension. https://bit.ly/3iwkX3N