I was interested in your comments on the article in the link below as I am in desperate need of help - AND NO ONE WILL HELP ME.

https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/uif-ters-payments-will-be-made-once-labour-minister-provides-directives-0be90eaf-4765-4ea9-b749-2053758ca3c4

I am one of the 12% who has not received any UIF TERS C-19 benefit since it's inception.

Yesterday, as a last resort, I wrote to Commissioner Maruping, his assistant and a number of UIF employees who I have been asked to deal with. I still await some kind of response.

Here is my open letter to the Commissioner:

Dear Commissioner Maruping,

I honestly don’t know where to turn and this is my last hope of getting this matter sorted out. Below this e-mail is a copy of a mail I forwarded to the department some time ago, with still no response. That mail also contains all details pertaining to this very very very very urgent query.

I have not received my Ters/C-19 benefit since the beginning of the lockdown and after at least 50 phone calls and 20 emails, no one at the department can or will help me. Not even my employer is able to assist anymore. Where on earth do I turn?

I have been placed on unpaid leave indefinitely since 27th March 2020 and have not received one cent from neither my employer, nor UIF since then.

For some reason, when my application reaches the stage where it is "Forwarded to Financial Institution", it keeps on coming back as "incorrect banking details". Now, I have sent three letters from my bank to UIF and the banking details on the system are correct. Correct universal code, correct everything, but the system keeps on rejecting my application.

There is not one person at UIF who can assist with this problem - not ONE!

This query has been escalated at least seven times and to date, nothing, not one bit of help in resolving this matter. Not one response to my e-mails, not one response to my calls - nothing! Nada!

The reality is, from the end of this month I will not be able to honour one bill. Won't be able to call UIF anymore as I will no longer have a phone. No more internet to send e-mails to UIF. No more petrol, car, insurance, medical aid, food, rent, chronic medication.

Being placed on unpaid leave indefinitely, with no end in sight, means I need to look for alternate employment, but with zero resources, that has now become an impossibility too.

How can I get help?

Respectfully Yours,
A desperate, loyal, hard-working, tax compliant, South African Citizen