Two women in South Africa are unable to access their Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) benefits after discovering their identity numbers were used to fraudulently claim Covid-19 relief funds.

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) links the incidents to one of 60 companies under investigation for allegedly using stolen identities to claim TERS benefits, resulting in UIF losing over R148.4m.

Victims like Pretoria's Paula Mokoena and KwaZulu-Natal's Ntombifuthi Mazibuko face blocked UIF claims due to fraudulent records tied to their stolen IDs.

Mokoena, a bookkeeper, discovered her ID was used by Ziqoqe Construction in 2020, leaving her without income for four months while caring for her newborn.Mazibuko faced 10 rejected UIF applications before learning her ID was linked to a company she never worked for.Despite lodging complaints, victims are caught in a bureaucratic loop between the labour department and SAPS, with no resolution.The SIU focuses on recovering funds, but victims remain stuck in a cycle of denied benefits and unresolved cases.The labour department acknowledges increased complaints but admits delays in resolving individual claims.Affected individuals are advised to report fraud immediately, keep records, and follow up with authorities.