The Temporary Employee Relief Scheme (TERS)
TERS is an intervention which allows employers to pay staff directly during the Covid-19 pandemic and avoid retrenching any of your staff members. Employees will receive a wage payment through TERS. In terms of the TERS process, the UIF may fund your company if you are affected by COVID-19 directly in relation to the TERS allowance. This will be applicable to your company if you have the following:
- registered with UIF
- compliant with the relevant UIF legislation, and
- making your required monthly contributions
PLEASE NOTE:
Should your business not be compliant, you will be able to undertake to pay outstanding contributions and bring your required declarations up to date within a stipulated time frame.
Relief Program Summary:
The Temporary Employee Relief Scheme (TERS)
If this is an opportunity your business can benefit from, email covid19ters@labour.gov.za, for more information. You will receive an automated response outlining the procedure and information you will require.
A: Process
Step 1
Key Documents required:
- Prescribed template that will require critical information from the employer – employees bank details needed here. Refer to section C for more clarity (On next section in blue)
- Employer or Bargaining council applying must complete this (attachment 4)
- MOA (completion of the agreement between UIF, Bargaining Council and Employer); only applicable to employers that has more than 10 employees
- Choose the MOA relating to your role in the process:
- Employer (attachment 5)
- Bargaining Council that can pay the benefits directly to employees (attachment 6)
- Bargaining council that cannot pay employees directly (attachment 7)
- Tourism or Mineral council (attachment 8)
- Confirmation of bank account details for Covid19ters in the form latest bank confirmation letter (no need to certify)
- Letter of Undertaking (attachment 9)
**All documents submitted will be subjected to verification.
Step 2
Submission Process
Submit t all documents as required to UIF via dedicated mailbox Covid19UIFclaims@labour.gov.za
Total of 5 documents (exclude MOA if under 10 employees)
MOA:
- Fill company name on page 1
- Initial each page
- Sign in full at the end
Step 3
Conclusion
Our Covid19 system will attend to all application and thereafter send you a approval/rejection letter.
- Choose the MOA relating to your role in the process:
B: Additional Information
- Minimum Wage – The Minimum wage that will be used to determine minimum payment to employees is R3500 Per Month
- Opening of a special account is only applicable to Bargaining council as they represent multiple employers.
- Payment can be made to either:
- Employer
- Bargaining Council /Council
- Employees
- Leave income = salary paid during lockdown/shutdown period if applicable. There could be R0 earned.
- Termination date is the last remuneration date received by the employee for the shutdown. This could be either 26th March or 31st
C: Rules for Completing Prescribed Template
Step -1
Prepare the list of all employees with all mandatory information using the file National Disaster Payment – Excel Template (Attachment 1)
Step -2
Use the “Guidelines – To Convert_ Excel_TO_CSV” document as required by UIF
Step -3
Refer attachment 3 to view sample of what we need as a final CSV file.
Step -4
Submit 5 files in total. (exclude MOA if under 10 employees)
Enquiries regarding process or clarification can be directed to 0800 030 007 or 012 337 1997