The Fiji National Provident Fund is urging employees in the formal sector, residing outside of Viti Levu and were affected by the pandemic, to apply for the Government- funded unemployment benefit on the myFNPF app from August 25, 2021 to September 1, 2021.
Affected individuals have to be 18 years and above, unemployed, residing outside of Viti Levu, have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine by August 7, 2021 in order to meet the criteria.
FNPF chief executive officer Viliame Vodonaivalu said individuals who had yet to download the myFNPF app, needed to do so immediately in order to apply for the Government assistance.
“We are working closely with Government to help affected individuals outside Viti Levu submit their applications, and it is important that members contact the fund directly should they need assistance with the mobile app,” he said.
The fund also warned applicants against double dipping as individuals assisted under any of the FNPF COVID-19 unemployment relief were not eligible for the Government assistance and likewise individuals assisted by Government were not eligible for FNPF COVID-19 unemployment relief.
Civil servants, private sector employees and statutory bodies who were still receiving employment income, those on FNPF pension scheme, FNPF voluntary members, students on Tertiary Education Loan Scheme and Toppers scholarship receiving normal allowances and all social welfare recipients were not allowed to apply.
Individuals applying for this assistance needed to gather all of the required information beforehand as incomplete, late or submissions containing incorrect information would not be considered.
The fund stated the first payment of $360 would be made from September 8, 2021 onwards for the months of August, September and October 2021 as the second round of applications and payment will be in three months to cater for November and December 2021, and January 2022.
It was highlighted as part of the criteria to be eligible for the second round of the $360 payment, individuals must receive the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine before submitting their application.
These funds would be deposited directly into M-PAiSA or MyCASH accounts for eligible recipients.
Individuals who have a minimum NPF General Account balance of $755 could apply for the FNPF COVID- 19 Unemployment relief.
Those individuals who did not have sufficient FNPF General Account balance, as well as those who did not prefer to access their General Account, could apply for the $120 per month benefit from Government – but they could not apply for both.
