FNPF assistance available for casual workers laid off due to lockdown

If you are a casual worker that has been laid off or a garment factory worker that was living from pay to pay every week and now do not have a job because of the lockdown in areas in Suva and Lautoka, there is FNPF assistance available for you.

There is also FNPF assistance available for taxi drivers, minibus and bus drivers as well as those that were bouncers at nightclubs or bartenders.

Even if you were self-employed and your business is affected there is FNPF assistance for you.

$500 FNPF assistance for those affected by the lockdown

For example, if you were working in a garment factory and it has closed down because of the lockdown, you can access $500 from your FNPF account. And if you don't have $500, the government will pay that $500.

If you have lost your job because you live outside the Suva or Lautoka lockdown areas, you can also access $500 from your FNPF account and again if you don't have $500 the government will give that amount.

The same applies to those who live within the lockdown area but your place of work is outside the lockdown area. People that can apply for these assistance packages are those that have been sent on leave without pay, reduced wage rate, terminated or permanently laid off and have reduced working hours.

The application form will be sent to you by your employer but it is also available on the FNPF website.

You are required to complete the form together with your employer. When your application form is completed, your employer will then upload the form on the FNPF Employer Online Portal.

Apart from the application form, people also need to submit a valid bank statement and a valid photo ID which can be your Joint ID Card, driver’s license, voter ID or passport

What if your employer is not forthcoming?

Attorney General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says what they have seen is that there are people who have had issues with their employers not forthcoming to assist the employees.

He says the reason is that they have seen some employers have been late with their FNPF contributions and are hesitant to come forward. Sayed-Khaiyum says in their discussions with FNPF, there has been agreement that for the time being FNPF will still process those applications not withstanding the fact that these employers have been late in their payments or have compliance issues.

Assistance for taxi drivers and self-employed

From Thursday (9th April 2020), FNPF will be allowing taxi drivers affected by the lockdown to access $1000 directly but this is subject to the eligibility in the general account.

Taxi drivers have had their hours cut down because of the curfew and reduction in traffic.

FNPF CEO, Jaoji Koroi confirms that affected taxi drivers need to bring in their completed application form, copy of their permit from the owner and the authorisation or certification from the owner of the taxi that they are the driver.

Koroi says the other group that can also access their FNPF money directly is those that are self-employed.

He says those that are self-employed need to bring in a completed application form, a copy of a tax compliance certificate and a valid business license.