Road Accident Fund’s big new plan to clear backlog of 321,000 claims

The Road Accident Fund (RAF) has launched the “Drive Your Claim Forward” campaign in an effort to clear the backlog of 321,000 claims currently on its books.

The campaign calls for citizens who lodged their claims before April 2021 to submit all the necessary documentation and information required to investigate and pay their claims timeously.

“Supporting documents play a crucial role in finalising a claim efficiently and speedily. They inform the Fund about what is being claimed, set out the basis of the claim, allow the Fund to investigate, and facilitate an assessment on the merits of the motor vehicle accident,” said RAF CEO Collins Letsoalo.

“Through the campaign, the RAF anticipates processing and finalising more claims, thus significantly reducing the waiting period claimants have to endure.”

To determine which documents are outstanding, claimants can visit the RAF website, click on the “Drive Your Claim Forward” banner on the home page, and follow the on-screen prompts.

Alternatively, they may contact the RAF via phone at 087 820 1111, via SMS at 44930, or by email at [email protected] .

An administrative nightmare

The main reason the RAF has been unable to meet its 120-day claim payment deadline for these 321,000 individuals is the fact that they have not submitted all the required documentation to support their cases, said Letsoalo.

“The RAF introduced a new RAF 1 form in July 2022 in order to improve service delivery and better manage claim risk. The form was introduced to make it easier for legal practitioners to lodge claims on behalf of claimants, and more importantly, to assist with settling claims faster,” said the CEO.

“The Fund’s open claim backlog would not be on this scale if road accident victims and attorneys representing them submitted all the required information and documents upfront.”

Other challenges facing the RAF are the comprehensive medical assessments for serious injuries and the litigation process which involves a court process that the organisation must adhere to by law.

“Through the [Drive Your Claim Forward] campaign, the RAF seeks to ensure that it is doing everything to minimise delays and assist all claimants,” concluded Letsoalo.