If you are retrenched, too ill to work, or on maternity leave, the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) replaces part of your income: between 60% and 38% of your earnings on a sliding scale, capped at a maximum benefit of R6,730.88 a month, for as long as your credit days last, up to a maximum of 365 days (about 12 months). Claims are made online at uifonline.labour.gov.za or at a Labour Centre, within 6 months of the qualifying event.
Who contributes and how much
Every qualifying employee and their employer each contribute 1% of gross salary (2% in total). Contributions are calculated on earnings up to a ceiling of R17,712 a month, so the maximum deduction is R177.12 from the worker and R177.12 from the employer, R354.24 combined. The ceiling was set in 2021 and is still current as of June 2026; confirm it at www.labour.gov.za before relying on it. Workers who do fewer than 24 hours a month for one employer, and public servants, are excluded from UIF.
What you can claim for
- Unemployment: you were dismissed, retrenched or your fixed-term contract expired. You cannot claim if you resigned (constructive dismissal is the exception), and you must register as a work-seeker.
- Illness: you cannot work because of illness and are receiving no income while off; a medical certificate is required.
- Maternity: the 4-month maternity leave period; UIF pays partial income replacement on the sliding scale, and you must confirm whether your employer is paying you anything during leave.
- Adoption and parental leave: with confirmation of the adoption order where relevant.
- Dependants: the spouse and children of a contributor who dies can claim the deceased worker's accrued credits.
How much you get, and for how long
The benefit is a percentage of your earnings on a sliding scale: lower earners get close to 60% of their wage, and the percentage tapers down to 38% for earners at the contribution ceiling. The maximum benefit works out at R6,730.88 a month. How long it lasts depends on credit days: you earn 1 credit day for every 4 days worked, up to a maximum of 365 credit days, which is about 12 months of benefits at most. Long service does not stretch payments beyond that cap. The Department of Employment and Labour publishes the benefit schedule; check the current figures at www.labour.gov.za when you claim.
How to claim online
Note the portal change: employee benefit claims are no longer processed on uFiling. They now run through uifonline.labour.gov.za.
- Register or log in with your 13-digit ID number.
- Accept the terms, then confirm your banking and personal details.
- Select the benefit type and complete the application form.
- For unemployment claims, confirm you are a registered work-seeker; for maternity claims, declare any salary you are still receiving.
- Track the claim status on the portal. If approved, payment goes directly to your bank account; allow 4 to 8 weeks for the first payment.
Claiming in person
Take these to a Department of Employment and Labour Labour Centre:
- Form UI 2.8 (banking details, stamped by your bank).
- Form UI-19 completed by your employer (the employer's declaration; this is the document workers most often wait on).
- A certified copy of your ID or passport.
- Your last 6 payslips.
- A service certificate from your employer and proof of termination (retrenchment letter or contract expiry).
The deadline is 6 months from termination or the start of the qualifying event. Apply as soon as you can: late applications are the most common reason claims fail.
Employer duties
If you employ people, you must deduct 1% from every qualifying worker, add your own 1%, and pay both over to SARS on the monthly EMP201 by the 7th of the following month. Register workers on the UIF system when they start (forms UI-8 and UI-19), and complete a UI-19 promptly whenever a worker leaves: without it, your former worker cannot claim. The registration steps are covered in Employing your first worker.
Worked example: a roofer retrenched after 3 years
Sipho earned R8,000 a month for 36 months. He contributed R80 a month (R2,880 in total) and his employer matched it. His credits: roughly 36 months x 30 days / 4 = 270 credit days, comfortably under the 365-day cap, so he can draw benefits for up to 270 days (about 9 months). He applies at uifonline.labour.gov.za within 6 months of retrenchment, uploads his UI-19 and proof of retrenchment, and receives partial income replacement on the sliding scale, paid into his bank account within 4 to 8 weeks of approval.
Common mistakes
- Missing the 6-month deadline. The clock starts at termination or the start of leave, not when you feel ready.
- Resigning and expecting to claim. Resignation disqualifies you from unemployment benefits unless it was a constructive dismissal.
- Leaving without a UI-19. Get the employer's declaration before your last day if you can.
- Employers pocketing deductions. Deducting 1% and not paying it over is a criminal matter and shows up the moment a worker tries to claim.
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