Complaint about Dept of Labor, UIF office Springs, Gauteng

am dismayed and appalled at the treatment received by some of the officers at the Springs branch of the UIF offices. I have been to this office 7 times already, and have to date, received no payout.

Every time I visit the offices, there is another form that must be completed, or my workplace filled something out incorrectly. Why could they not go through all of the papers and identify all issues with the first visit?

Some of them are arrogant as well, unfriendly and not helpful at all, it is as if they expect a person to know everything, even when filling out forms for the first time?

Why should we accept to be treated as if we do not matter and if we are just a nuisance that comes to the office to bother them.

The last day of work for me was 7 January 2025, yet. to this day, I have not received a payout from UIF. I have been contributing for many years, and fail to understand why claiming is such a big issue. I am supposed to go and sign for the first time on 18 March 2025, but have not received the first payment yet.

After I visited UIF offices for the 4th time in February 2025, I saw the supervisor, Annah, a refreshingly helpful and friendly person, and she spoke with the agent, Jimmy, who showed me away again, instructing him to phone my HR officer at my workplace, and explain exactly what it is that is required by UIF officials. Upon previous visits to the office, I requested the officer to phone my workplace and speak with the HR officer, to which he responded : "Why should I phone them, when I am telling you what is needed?". Only to return to the office again, because according to the officer, the forms from my workplace were still incorrect. Something as simple as a 2 minute phone call could have stopped these visits over and over again to the office. I was told by Annah that they encourage officers to actually phone the employers, yet more than once I was told they do not phone employers.

Two weeks ago I made a phone call to Jimmy to ask about the progress of the payout, as I have been without income now for 2 months. I was told that the bank rejected the payout, indicating that my bank account was "locked". This was untrue as my account is still very active. I suspect that the account number was captured incorrectly by UIF officials.

I then went to the offices for the 6th time, got a new form to take to the bank to be filled out, went to the bank and had it completed and for the 7th time went back to the UIF office to hand in the form completed by the bank, together with a letter from the bank to indicate that this account is active and has never been suspended or blocked ever since the time I opened it. I was told payment will be done within 7 to 10 days.

This morning I phoned again and spoke with the other "teamleader" , Lutando or Thando, (I think that was his name, as I could not hear properly), he answered on phone number ***, after trying a great many times over the past 2 days to contact Annah on ***, and Jimmy on ***. who advised me that the payment was only re-processed on 8 March 2025, and this time I was told it will take up to 14 days for it to be paid to my bank account.

I was given a note to go and sign for the second payout on 18 March 2025, but by the looks of things, I will not even have received the first payment. Upon my question directed at the person who answered the phone on *** as to what will happen if I have not received the first payout by the time I was told he was not going to enter into a discussion with me about the issue and that he does not know what will happen when I have to come and sign on the 18th of March, without having received the first payment. He also said payment could not be expedited either.

I have never heard of any company who treats people this way. I am feeling down because I would never treat another person like this.

I think the Springs office should be closed, honestly or should send their officers on a course on how to treat people with dignity instead of treating us like beggars.

Thank you

GM Van Tonder (Gezina Maria)