About R161 million paid out from the Covid-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (Covid-19 Ters), administered by the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), was to people who should not have received it according to the Department of Employment and Labour.
The Covid-19 Ters scheme was only meant to support people in private employment who had seen their salaries cut as a result of their employers not being allowed to operate, or who were seeing their earnings slump as a result of the Covid-19 lockdown. It was in no way allowed to support state employees, all of whom, excluding the cabinet and deputy ministers, received their full salaries during the crisis.
The irregular payments under the scheme came to light in response to questions in Parliament from the Democratic Alliance.
The department said it had found there were up to 9 494 employees on the government’s salary payment system 'Persal', who were also getting Covid-19 Ters payments, otherwise known as ‘double-dipping’.
The department also said there were 78 people on the SANDF salary payment system who were suspected of double-dipping.
The total number of state employees suspected of getting a salary and a Ters payment is 9 572 and the total amount paid to them is R41 337 376.06.
The department says it is not letting the matter rest and is working with the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) to look into the issue.
“The matter is under investigation by the UIF Fraud Unit as well as the SIU and based on the investigation recommendations, the recovery process will be initiated by UIF.
In addition, possible criminal cases and internal disciplinary cases can be instituted.”
Government employees are not the only ones suspected of getting irregular payments. The department found that there were thousands of people who were also receiving disability and old age grants, as well as Covid-19 Ters payments.
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Article published with permission.
