May is Workers’ Month: Here is how to check if you qualify for UIF

Before you start the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) application process, make sure that you actually qualify to claim benefits.

In order to qualify for UIF, you must have been paying UIF contributions.

You can confirm this by looking on your payslip for any deductions that are marked for UIF.

All workers who have been paying UIF contributions can claim UIF if:

• Their employers have become bankrupt.
• Their contracts have ended.
• Their contracts have ended due to the death of an employer.
• They have been dismissed.

Domestic workers can claim if:

• They work for more than one employer and lose their employment with one of the employers, or if their employer dies.

You cannot claim if you:

• Receive benefits from the Compensation Fund.
• Receive benefits from an unemployment fund established under the Labour Relations Act.
• Are suspended from claiming because of fraud.
• Quit your job, resign, or abscond.
• Do not report at set dates and times.
• Refuse training and advice that may be given by UIF staff.

When can you claim UIF?

You can claim UIF starting from your last day of employment until your UIF benefits are used up or you have started working again.

You cannot register for UIF before your current employment contract has expired, and you must claim within six months after you have stopped working.

How to register for UIF?

Unemployed workers must apply for UIF benefits at their nearest labour centre in person.

Step 1: The documentation that you need

Ensure that you have all necessary documents on hand; otherwise, you will be sent away.

You need:

• Your 13-digit bar-coded identity document.
• Form UI-2.8 for banking details.

Tip: This needs to be signed by your bank and accompanied by a stamped bank statement to confirm your bank account details.

• Form UI-19 to show your employment history. This form must be completed by your previous employer.

Step 2: Go to the nearest labour centre

Once you have all your documentation, you must go to the nearest labour centre in person. You can find the address and telephone number of your nearest centre at http://www.labour.gov.za/contacts/contacts.

This information was supplied by the Legal Aid Board: https://legal-aid.co.za/unemployment/.