Some source checks, rows or fields remain unresolved. This is not a whole-dataset current verification.
Evidence status is dataset-family level. Row-level and field-level source labels still control where they are more specific.
Unemployment Insurance Fund / Department of Employment and Labour
COVID-era scheme closed — related cases continueCOVID-era TERS provided wage support during pandemic restrictions. A later UIF source reports an overall R64 billion paid to at least 5 million workers nationally through COVID TERS. The current ordinary TERS programme is separate: the Department of Employment and Labour reported about R295 million of support in 2025/26 and a R2.4 billion allocation for 2026/27. SIU case-specific activity remained active in May 2026.
COVID TERS wage support reported
R64.0bn
UIF national snapshot — 16 August 2023
Workers receiving COVID TERS wage support
≥5 000 000
UIF national snapshot — 16 August 2023
Financial measure boundary
A later UIF source dated 16 August 2023 reports an overall R64 billion paid to at least 5 million workers through COVID TERS. This remains a historical paid-support snapshot, not a current ordinary TERS allocation or a verified final cumulative COVID TERS total. Current ordinary TERS and case-specific recovery/preservation values remain separate measures.
Latest paid / expenditure evidence
Historic COVID TERS paid support: R64.0bn
The UIF reported an overall R64bn paid to at least 5m workers through COVID TERS. This is a historical national paid-support snapshot, not a current ordinary TERS allocation, final cumulative scheme total or cumulative recovery figure.
Department of Employment and Labour / UIF — 16 August 2023 →Latest cited context
On 21 May 2026 the SIU described arrests, a conviction and preservation/recovery outcomes covering more than R27m in named COVID TERS matters. That case-specific amount is not treated as a cumulative scheme recovery total.
Special Investigating Unit — UIF TERS cases, 21 May 2026 →Odyssey editorial accountability question
What is the current cumulative recovery position for COVID-era TERS, separated from individual case values and from today’s ordinary TERS programme?
Source-dated timeline — 4 events
2021-02-11 · programme-update
Presidency reports more than R57bn in COVID TERS wage support
Wage support reported: R57.0bn
The 2021 State of the Nation Address said more than R57bn in wage support had reached over 4.5m workers through the special UIF TERS scheme.
The Presidency — 2021 State of the Nation Address →2023-08-16 · programme-update
UIF reports overall R64bn paid through COVID TERS
Historic COVID TERS paid support: R64.0bn
The UIF said it had paid an overall R64bn to at least 5m workers nationally through COVID TERS. F2 uses this later direct-primary paid snapshot instead of the older 2021 SONA R57bn snapshot.
Department of Employment and Labour / UIF →2026-05-19 · budget
Ordinary TERS receives separate R2.4bn 2026/27 allocation
Current ordinary TERS allocation: R2.4bn
The Labour Budget Vote described current ordinary TERS as a distinct job-retention programme and reported a R2.4bn allocation for 2026/27.
Department of Employment and Labour Budget Vote 2026/27 →2026-05-21 · investigation
SIU reports new COVID TERS case outcomes
The SIU described arrests, a conviction and preservation/recovery outcomes involving more than R27m across named UIF TERS matters. Odyssey does not treat that as a cumulative recovery total.
Special Investigating Unit →Cited source anchors
The five tracked programmes use different accounting bases. Fund envelopes, annual or additional allocations, multi-instrument package values, approvals and historical payments are not interchangeable and are not added into a combined money total.
Status labels are source-dated Odyssey tracker snapshots. They are not live accounting, audit or programme-completion determinations.
Investigation, preservation, recovery and court references describe the cited proceeding only. They do not establish criminal or civil liability beyond the source record.
This is a selected five-programme tracker, not an exhaustive account of South African public spending or all relief and employment programmes.
Other tracked programmes