UIF Notice: Retraction of the Manual UI-19 Discontinuation Notice
Background
Without warning or discussion with business partners such as the PAGSA, the Fund announced during September that manual UI-19 forms would no longer be accepted by labour centers in Gauteng from 1 October 2022.
Besides a vague reference to uFiling in the notice, no credible alternative solution was discussed with business prior to the issue of the discontinuation notice.
Refer to PAGSA Newsflash 2022-45 for more details of the notice.
Discussions
The PAGSA immediately notified the Fund of the extensive difficulties, uncertainty, and confusion experienced by payroll suppliers and employers resulting from the discontinuation notice, and also pointed out the lack of a credible alternative solution.
I am pleased to bring to your attention that the Fund has withdrawn the UI-19 discontinuation notice with effect from today (21 October 2022), and “apologises to clients, employers, and stakeholders for any inconvenience caused by the circular”.
The full notice of retraction is copied at the end of this Newsflash for your information.
During the latest discussions with the Fund, I repeated my previous requests:
1.To revive the technical discussions that took place during 2016 and 2017 to update the E03 declaration specification that payrolls must obey when creating the monthly declaration file with a view to modernising the requirements as well as providing the additional employee data that the Fund needs in order to fulfil its legal mandate.
2.To discuss the creation of a practical and credible solution to replace the UIF E-Compliance Certificate online system that was introduced towards the end of January 2021 (again without prior notification or discussion with business partners such as the PAGSA).
After many requests and eventually the submission to the Fund by the PAGSA of a report detailing the weaknesses of the E-CC system and the resulting negative impact on business and the economy in general, this system was also withdrawn during a discussion with the PAGSA and other parties on 11 April 2022.
Refer to PAGSA Newsflash 2022-18 for more details and the full PAGSA report.
As soon as more information becomes available, you will be updated.
Regards,
Rob Cooper
Chairman Payroll Authors Group of South Africa
All information provided by the PAGSA is subject to our DISCLAIMER.
Employment and Labour on UIF withdrawing Gauteng circular on the discontinuance of accepting Manual UI-19 forms
21 Oct 2022
UIF withdraws Gauteng circular on the discontinuance of accepting Manual UI-19 forms
The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has, with immediate effect, withdrawn the circular that was shared in Gauteng declining to accept manual UI-19 forms from clients.
The UI-19 is a form that confirms the employment status and history, as well as the salary and hours worked by an employee.
The UIF apologises to clients, employers, and stakeholders for any inconvenience caused by the circular. The Fund also assures clients that it will continue accepting the submission of manual UI-19 forms at all labour centres.
However, clients are also encouraged to visit https://ufiling.labour.gov.za/uif/ to submit their Unemployment, Illness, Maternity, and Adoption benefit claims.
Employers can also use uFiling to declare their workers, including foreign employees, and pay monthly contributions.
If and when the Fund considers going fully paperless, the decision will be communicated by the UIF Commissioner, Teboho Maruping, after thorough consultations with clients, employers, and critical stakeholders.
The Fund remains committed to rendering excellent services.
NOTICE ENDS
Annexure: Unemployment Insurance Act Section 56
56. Information to be supplied by employer.—
(1) Every employer must, as soon as it commences activities as an employer, provide the information referred to in subsection (2) regarding its employees to the Commissioner, irrespective of the earnings of such employees.
(2) The information contemplated in subsection (1) must—
(a) include the street address of the business, and any of its branches, of the employer;
(b) if the employer is not resident in the Republic, or is a body corporate not registered in the Republic, include the particulars of the authorised person who is required to carry out the duties of the employer in terms of this Act; and
(c) include the names, identification numbers and monthly remuneration of each of its employees, and must state the address at which the employee is employed.
(3) Every employer must, before the seventh day of each month, provide the Commissioner with all information for the previous month in terms of subsection (1).
(3A) The Minister will issue regulations on a special dispensation applicable to domestic employers and small businesses or enterprises regarding the submission of information in subsection (3).
(4) The Commissioner may request the employer to provide such additional particulars as may reasonably be required to give effect to the purpose of this Act within 30 days of the request, or within such extended period as the Commissioner may allow.
