Please note that this website cannot answer your questions about your UIF application. You must apply and submit your continuation forms via the UIF website. If you are struggling with the online application process, you can email Ms Ditoro Makgato, Mr Deon van Niekerk or Mr Tsepo Dube.
If you’re going on maternity leave or have been retrenched, you can claim from the government’s Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), which should help replace a portion of your income and tide you over until you can find another job or return to work after having a baby.
If you haven’t claimed UIF before or are unsure of the process it would help to become informed about recent changes around how claims can be made and how much you qualify for.
“The UIF bill was signed into Act in January this year, so we no longer refer to it as a bill; this means it has become law. However, the Amendment Act is not yet effective as this requires the promulgation of the implementation date. The Act will be implemented once the President promulgates the implementation date,” explains Makhosonke Buthelezi, director of communications and marketing at the Department of Labour (DoL).
The good news is that the changes mostly favour the recipient. Here are some of the main benefits and improvements of the Amendment Act:
- Payment for the unemployment benefit will be for 12 months instead of the current 8 months.
- Maternity benefit will be paid at a flat rate of 66% instead of the current sliding scale of between 38% and 60%.
- The period within which to submit claims is increased from 6 months to 12 months for unemployment, maternity, illness, and adoption benefits. For death benefit you can submit a claim within 18 months.
- Public servants and people in learnerships are going to be able to contribute to and claim from UIF.
- Workers who work for reduced hours or a short time will be able to claim for the lost hours.
Service delivery improvements
Claiming UIF has not been smooth sailing for all concerned. However the DoL has engaged in several initiatives to improve its services. For example, you can claim UIF online, much in the same way you can file your taxes online.
Internal changes have also been made. “We have started to increase bandwidth in some of the labour centres to enable faster processing of documents and this is going to be rolled out in other labour centres throughout the country,” says Buthelezi.
It’s not unheard of to receive your benefits weeks after filing. “At the moment claims submitted in Cape Town are approved in record times of two to three weeks if all documents are complete and correct. The DoL always quotes 35 working days (seven weeks). Some claims can take much longer if something goes wrong. Six-month delays are rare but do occur occasionally,” says Klaus Arnhard, founder of agency UIF-Hero.
However the DoL says it is looking into this following a number of workshops around ‘process re-engineering’, which has resulted in a Service Delivery Improvement Plan. “The DoL has also reviewed claim turnaround times to make them shorter so clients can enjoy their benefits at the time they need them,” explains Buthelezi.
Why agency involvement will be reduced
One of the more contentious changes, however, has been the prohibition in the use of agencies to process claims on your behalf. The DoL’s past inefficiencies has resulted in an entire industry springing up to help applicants process claims, particularly maternity benefits. Agencies providing such services include UIF-Hero, Bunny Hop, UIF Services, and Little Monkey UIF Claims. They typically charge a once-off fee ranging from R400 to R850.
The new Act says: “When processing application for benefits neither the Fund nor any agency or person purporting to act on behalf of the applicant may charge a fee against the applicant.’’ But industry commentators argue that agencies were created to fulfil a need and to help with the complexities of making a claim. They add that it creates jobs and results in more successful claims that are usually processed in shorter periods of time.
But the bone of contention is that they are still charging for a service that’s meant to be free. The DoL points out that no agencies are accredited by UIF. “The UIF discourages the use of agencies because our services are for free, and agencies do not get preferential treatment from the Fund. The current Act does not encourage nor prohibit the use of agencies. However, the new amendment Act prohibits anyone from charging a fee for processing UIF claims, including agencies.”
Until the Act is promulgated it’s still possible to hire an agency to act on your behalf but once it comes into effect, agencies may have to offer different services and charge for their time instead of for processing the claim.
Why it’s still difficult to claim
While much has been done to smooth the process of claiming UIF, it’s still a difficult process. Michael Bagraim, Shadow Deputy Minister of Labour points out that it’s not uncommon for the DoL to lose paperwork and to ask people to come back again. “Where we are at the moment it’s a nightmare and we’re hoping to get to a stage where it becomes more user-friendly,” he says.
However, he is optimistic. “I’m actually feeling quite positive and have spoken at length with the new director of the UIF and he really wants to ensure that things happen. The nightmare continues but I’m hoping to see light at the end of the tunnel.”
Meanwhile, Arnhard points out that the problem could also be on the claimant’s side. “There are a number of reasons [why claims are not processed or rejected], but the most severe problem is the employment history. The employment history should display your entire career with all employers, your salary per employer, your start and end date with each employer and why you left, for example: resignation. In our estimate about 75% of employment histories are not complete,” he says.
Ultimately, it’s vital to ensure that you have all the correct paperwork for the DoL to process your claim. If you’re unsure, you still have the ability to consult an expert. “It’s all purely administrative. Legally a person needs to qualify. Once that’s satisfied you need to prepare for long queues by getting information on time. That is the only way,” says Osborne Molatudi, partner at Hogan Lovells.
This article first appeared in City Press.
Question: My domestic worker has been told by UIF that as she claimed retrenchment (just under 4 years ago) and is now claiming maternity (she has been working for me since Jan 2018…went off on maternity leave on 21st Dec 2018) that they will not pay out as she has already claimed in the last 4 years. Is this correct?
I do know that she can only claim 1 day for every 6 days worked for me. She has been a contributor since Jan 2018.
hi,
kindly send me ID number of your domestic worker so that we can check .
Good morning
I am still in process of receiving my UIF and need to sign on 16 April 2019.
Is there a possibility that I can alternatively go a day before on 15 April 2019 or is that not allowed??? If not allowed can I go a week later?? Or may you only sign on the day that has been specified for you?
Kind regards
A client can go after the 16 or week later it will not affect UIF payment
Kind regards
Azwi Murida
UIF Media Relations
Good morning
Thank you so much for this useful information.
Kind regards
Rose
Hi there
I was retrenched last year end of august 2018 and was claiming uif every month but i went last week to claim again and i was told this was my last one. I would like to know why when i was with my company for 5 years and the new law says you can claim up to 12 months . How does this process work?
It has something to do with the formula and how much you had contributed
Question: Is it possible for one to know how much s/he would get from UIF if s/he had to be fired.
Good question – if they accept being fired the same as retrenchment then it all depends on your salary and length of contribution
Hi Maya
I have signed for the uif claim on the 18th of this month and they told me to wait for 7 to 10 days and now im on the tenth day and nothing is in …
Can i kindly get an assistance on this matter? Please
Thank you in advance
have you had any luck yet?
hi,
kindly send me your Id number so that we can check .
Hi Maya, I was only paid for 208 days, 6 months instead of 238 days, 8 months. After numerous requests for the balance, I am told today that I was indeed paid for the full 238 days, I asked for a full statement & await their reply. Who can I escalate to? Besides this, has the period legally been extended to one year instead of 238 days? Thanks
Hi Maya I was retrenched after 10 yrs . I have been working and paying towards UIF for more than 26 yrs. I have never claimed from this fund. I read i am not eligible to claim for.more than 48 months of working and the more i earn the less i get paid . What happens to the balance of the fund i paid for. Or is do the GVT officials pocket that money also
It is a cross subsidization scheme – like insurance. There are those who may never use it and those who may need to claim after 5 years of working.
Hi, I am currently claiming UIF only on my 3rd claim. I have been offered a 2 month contract, what happens after the contract is finished? Can i still claim the balance of the benefit thereafter or do i lose the rest of the benefit? Can you advise please?
My brother in law passed away last year how do we know if we can claim anything for his two young children
Good day,
I would just like to get the status of my UIF claim if it has been approved yet. I applied in October 2018 and every time I go to department of labour, they tell me to go back in two weeks. I have not signed for my first payment yet as my claim was not approved.
Can you help?
Hi Maya
Am currently receiving UIF payment, but now i got a internship contract that pays very little compared. So want to know if my UIF payment would be affected by my new contract.
Themba
Worked for 5 years only paid for 7 months isn’t it supposed to be for 12months as previously was for 8 months
Hi,I’m sick since february this year and I claimed from you uif and they paid me.now it is november and doctor has granted me permanent disability. Can I claim from uif again?
Can I claim my UIF now in 2018 after I retired after 16 months ( 2016 September) ? I worked for this company for 35 years
Illness claim what is the different between normal claim uif and illness claim is the payout different or not?
Hi
I have recently resigned and I contributed for 10 years. Why can’t I claim because I contributed? I fell sick and decided to take some time off until I get well. But my question really is why don’t they allow you to claim even though you have contributed for a number of years?
Hi my name is Janine I just want to make sure my payout is correct I received my first payment of R1600. My salary for the last 4 years was between R8000 -R9800 I did not claim uif for the past 7 years please confirm if this is correct. I’m not sure how it works …
Good day,
When will the 12 months rule for UIF claim be implemente?
I sadly missed my claim due date by only 1 day and hear that to log an.appeal will only be waste of time.
Thanks,
Kekeletso
Good day,
When will the 12 months rule for UIF claim be in place?
Unfortunately I was rejected because I missed the claim cut off date by only 1 day.
Siyaya Status-not Approved/Refused…what does that mean?
I was retrenched last year and my last work day was 31 Dec 2017. Can I still claim UIF as 6 months period has lapsed already?
Hi Ma ya,
I just want to know what happens if I delay to claim UIF, as oppose to claiming immediately after dismisal. If I get another job or get reinstated in my old job after a month or two, which scenario would be a preference one, having claimed or not claimed uif. Someone told me it’s better to leave it and not claim incase you get a job quickly then you haven’t wasted your fund. I don’t understand this at all.
Please clarify
Good day,
Has this been passed for the 12 month rule to claim UIF?
Thanks,
Nishal
not yet
Hi Maya,
When do you think the 12 month will be implemented?
Thanks,
Kekeletso
I was unfairly dismissed whichthey tried to cover up by saying retrenched ment. I worked 7 months for this companycompany. They deducted every month. For how long can I claim? I can’t get another job. I was retrenched end if August and only received my UIF form in September 20.
Can I claim online.?
Morning all,
Does anyone know if the UIF needs to be paid into the claimants bank account or can the claimant elect a bank account in which the funds are to be paid into?
Appreciate your help.
The UIF would need to respond but I would guess that given the high levels of fraud they would only pay into the claimant’s account
U right, the pay into the claimant’ bank account
Can I claim for UIF Retrenchment after claiming for Maternity Benefits?
Hi,
yes, you can claim
Can I claim uif in 2018 if i claimed once in 2015.
Can I be able to claim my Uif if I was given a three months contract by my company that never renewed that contract but continued to pay my salary monthly even though it never gave me a new contract Until I resigned since it was gonna close down soon because it was a franchise store.
Can i claim UIF im pregnant now worked for 4 years as a temp and are permanent now for 1 month how is maternity leave and UIF going to work because my work place it say that i must be working for them for 3 months to qualify for their benefits what should i do and im going on a maternity leave 1 month before the time because of my condition medically
Hi there I am on maternity leave but my company has only registered me two months ago ,so I have only contributed 2 payments for the UIF but I’ve been working for them for 1 year and 8 months what do I do ?
Hi, I have an issue with the workers at work. We have not been paid for 2 months and our boss has not closed the company and it has not been liquidated either. Each week he tells us he is busy trying to borrow money. Now the workers are in stress and want UIF forms. I do not know what to do in this situation. The company is closed for us to go to work so we are home but in contact but as there is no material for the workers to do any work plus the electricity has been cut.
I filed for maternity benefit online…now it says Siyaya Status-not Approved/Refused…what does that mean?
Hi Mpho
How did u file it online because I have tried to use ufiling to upload docs but I couldn’t. I ended up going to labour department but not all the docs were submitted on my ufiling account
Hi. I just want to find out if the Amendment Act was passed or if it is likely to be passed in the near future? I am currently pregnant and trying to establish what maternity benefits I will get.
We haven’t had an update
It has just finished the public hearing period. Not sure on timeline from here
How many times can i sign to get my first payment for uif if I have rentrenched at work
Hello I just recently finished working on contract 3 months ago,so now I’m going to claim my uif.so I just need to know if i will be getting my other uif money that I suppose to get in 2015,if so then would I have to also have that UI19 of the 2015 job?
Good day. Will it be possible for me to claim my deceased husband’s uif outside of our hometown?
Good day i was forced to resign at my previous job and i never signed any documents for my UIF and now i found another job however am i still able to claim for my UIF and if possible how?
Hi there.. If I resign my job and start a new job immediately. What happens to my UIF funds. Do I lose it. Or does it get carried over. As I have never claimed in 15 years.. Regards Cornie.
It carries over. Any benefit is calculated by the number of years you have contributed
Hi Maya my name is Joseph Pogiso Peletso i was retrenched last year and ealy this year i have claim for my uif benefits now at labour they say it is my last payment this month at i hear u say uif claim it takes 8month to 12month but for me it is only 7month i dont understand why can you explain for me please and i have work for six years to my ex company i like to hear from you thanks.
Hi Maya my name is Joseph Pogiso Peletso i was retrenched last year and ealy this year i have claim for my uif benefits now at labour they say it is my last payment this month and i hear from you u say uif claim it takes 8month to 12month but for me it is only 7month i dont understand why can you explain for me please and i have work for six years to my ex company i like to hear from you thanks.
Hi there. I need assistance please
I am on maternity leave and have applied for Uif online using ufiling. Question, will I need to submit an online continuation of payment every month or do I just do it once and benefits will be paid until end of 4 months?
Yes you have to present yourself to fill the U.6 form each month which serve as confirmation that you’re still unemployed or on maternity. However, if the application was done on uFiling you just update it online.
Good dayday
Will I be able to claim uif if I resigned? I have been out of the country for 6 months after I resigned.
You have probably missed the time period
Good day, my husband passed away on 28 January and contributed to the UIF fund. I only found out now, that I could claim on this UIF death benefit. What I’m unsure of is the period in which to claim, as I’ve been told I’m just over the 6 month period. Please could you advice?
Thanks, Bernice
UIF may respond to your post, but the time frame is 6 months
Good day,
My mother passed in 2015 and we were minors.
Can we still claim for UIF?
I don’t think so, but you may have a claim if there were unclaimed retirement benefits
Hi Maya my name is Joseph Pogiso Peletso i was retrenched last year and ealy this year i have claim for my uif benefits;so now at labour they say it is my last payment this month at i hear from you u say uif claim it takes 8month to 12month but for me it is only 7month i dont understand why can you explain for me please and i have work for six years to my ex company.
I have received uif for 8 months and would like to know if the new legislation has come into effect so that i can continue receiving for the other 4 months to.
thank you for your help
Not that I am aware, also legislation is usually not retrospective and tends to apply to new cases only
Hi Maya,
I applied for maternity benefits with DOL a year ago. My application was done online and to date I have received no payments or feedback. I have tried to call, email to try and get some feedback to no avail. Is there away that I can still get the money that is due to me?
Hi
Please assist me I am going to retire at the end of this month am I entitled to claim UIF and for how long ?
Regards
You cannot claim UIF if you are retired
You are entitled to claim UIF when you retire.
That is not 100% accurate. If you retire and not looking for work then you cannot be defined as unemployed. However, if you are willing to work and available for a training programme then you could claim. Officials tell people to write that on the forms so they can claim UIF but the department does not encourage the practice.
I was retrenched in March 2018. I went to the UIF office in Bronkhorstspruit. I gave all the necessary papers and went to sign on 5 June 2018. I also didnt receive my money but my bank account was closed. I went back to UIF in Bronkhorstspruit and they told me i must wait another 6 weeks because they must do everything all over again. I went to sign again and the person told me that i will get two payments. Since now i havent received both my payments. Please help
For maternity leave, how many days do you need to be unpaid before you can claim UIF? I am lucky enough to have 4 months leave (3 months paid and one month unpaid), but you can use annual leave for the unpaid month. I want to check what is best, i.e. can I claim if I only need to take 12 days unpaid?
Hi good day I did work as a aupair and when I fall pregnant I went to apply for my uif which was deduct from me for 4 years just to find out I was never registered, what do I do
Hopefully the UIF department will respond to this post directly, but your employer is obliged to give you your UIF registration number
Hi,
Kindly elaborate on this statement ” 5.Workers who work for reduced hours or a short time will be able to claim for the lost hours”.
What is meant by reduced hours?
Hi Maya
Do you have any idea when and if this amendment will be signed off?
Kindly assist me. I have worked for this company for the past 10 years, and I have not claimed my UIF, I recently got retrenched, and went to claim my UIF…by my first payment was less than R3000. Is this possible?
Morning Thembeka,
May you please provide us with your Id number so that we can check for you .
Thanks