AS a single mother with two children, I want to share the appalling service I received from the Department of Labour after applying for UIF benefits during my maternity leave.
The nightmare started on 1 September last year when I submitted my UIF documentation.
I have no other source of income and was desperately in need to be paid on time.
I received a messages confirming my claim was received and that progress would be communicated within 35 days.
In October I received a message that my claim was rejected because of an outstanding document, which I immediately obtained and submitted.
After more than three weeks, I received a message that payment would be made within seven to 10 days.
I waited and waited and finally received another message requesting a payment form and medical certificate which was outstanding.
My first payment was only made on 18 November, but the nightmare continued, over and over. No payments because a ‘outstanding documents’.
Then their scanner broke and all the documentation were carted off to Durban for scanning.
In January I was informed that my UIF case had been cancelled and it took me three visits to discover it was because of the faulty scanner.
I submitted the documentation once more, but received no news.
Out of desperation and much frustration, I demanded to speak to the supervisor, who had no idea what happened to my documents and asked me to submit them again.
In February I returned to check when payment would be made.
Another supervisor then discovered that the documentation send through the last time was not correctly scanned and because of this payment was not made.
I received my last payment only now, six months after applying and already back at work.
This was a very traumatic experience for me while in my final stages of pregnancy and after giving birth.
FLABBERGASTED
