Author Archives: series

How does maternity leave pay work?

The employee is entitled to 4 months unpaid maternity leave. Maternity leave should commence one month before the expected date of birth of the child, and the employee is obliged to give the employer one month’s notice of the commencement of maternity leave. Employers are not obliged to remunerate employees for maternity leave, and the employee must claim maternity benefits through the Department of Labour.

There is no provision in the Labour legislation stipulating at what stage the employee must inform the employer that she is pregnant, except for the requirement that the employee is obliged to give the employer one month’s notice of the commencement of maternity leave. Annual leave continues to accrue to the employee during a period of maternity leave, whether such period of maternity leave is paid leave or unpaid leave.

The employer is obliged to hold the employee’s job open for her to return from a period of maternity leave.

I am often asked whether an employee on maternity leave continues to accrue annual leave during a period of maternity leave. There does not seem to be a clear answer, since different interpretations have been made by different people on this question. Looking firstly at annual leave, The Basic Conditions of Employment Act, section 20 states that a leave cycle is a period of 12 months with the same employer immediately following the commencement of employment. It states further that in every such period of 12 months (leave cycle), the employee is entitled to a period of 21 consecutive days leave on full pay. This, as we all know, equates to 15 working days.

This provision for the annual leave entitlement in section 20 (1) and (2) does not make any exclusions to the entitlement – in other words, no employee is excluded from this entitlement and certainly it makes no exclusion based on maternity leave. 

This then would imply that the leave cycle of 12 months continues to accrue annual leave, irrespective of whether that 12 month leave cycle is interrupted by maternity leave or not. In other words, that fact that the employee may be on maternity leave – which is in fact unpaid leave – does not actually alter the status of the employee. Put differently, the employee on maternity leave continues to remain an employee of the employer – albeit that the employee is on unpaid leave.

In section 20 (2) (b), it is stated that by agreement, annual leave may accrue at the rate of 1 day for every 17 days on which the employee worked or was entitled to be paid.

Some employers have interpreted this to mean that, since the employee is on maternity leave, which is unpaid leave, the employee is then neither working nor is entitled to be paid – hence no annual leave accrues while on maternity leave. 

This however, would be true only if the employer and the employee had reached written agreement that section 20 (2) (b) would be the agreed basis for accrual of annual leave in that particular employment contract. 

In addition, it would seem to me to be an unfair discrimination (based on pregnancy) to exclude an employee from accruing annual leave whilst on maternity leave. It would in fact be a discrimination based solely on reasons related to pregnancy, and as such in my view would be an unfair discrimination.

Additional Information

I am often asked whether an employee on maternity leave continues to accrue annual leave during a period of maternity leave. There does not seem to be a clear answer, since different interpretations have been made by different people on this question.

Looking firstly at annual leave, The Basic Conditions of Employment Act, section 20 states that a leave cycle is a period of 12 months with the same employer immediately following the commencement of employment. It states further that in every such period of 12 months (leave cycle), the employee is entitled to a period of 21 consecutive days leave on full pay. This, as we all know, equates to 15 working days.

This provision for the annual leave entitlement in section 20 (1) and (2) does not make any exclusions to the entitlement – in other words, no employee is excluded from this entitlement and certainly it makes no exclusion based on maternity leave. 

This then would imply that the leave cycle of 12 months continues to accrue annual leave, irrespective of whether that 12 month leave cycle is interrupted by maternity leave or not. In other words, that fact that the employee may be on maternity leave – which is in fact unpaid leave – does not actually alter the status of the employee. Put differently, the employee on maternity leave continues to remain an employee of the employer – albeit that the employee is on unpaid leave.

In section 20 (2) (b), it is stated that by agreement, annual leave may accrue at the rate of 1 day for every 17 days on which the employee worked or was entitled to be paid.

Some employers have interpreted this to mean that, since the employee is on maternity leave, which is unpaid leave, the employee is then neither working nor is entitled to be paid – hence no annual leave accrues while on maternity leave. 

This however, would be true only if the employer and the employee had reached written agreement that section 20 (2) (b) would be the agreed basis for accrual of annual leave in that particular employment contract. 

In addition, it would seem to me to be an unfair discrimination (based on pregnancy) to exclude an employee from accruing annual leave whilst on maternity leave. It would in fact be a discrimination based solely on reasons related to pregnancy, and as such in my view would be an unfair discrimination.

More Information on UIF

Can I claim UIF after 2 years?

HOW MUCH MONEY CAN WORKERS CLAIM? If you have been contributing to the Fund for four years or more, then you can claim for up to 238 days. If you have been contributing for a shorter period, then you can claim 1 day for every 6 days that you worked while you were contributing to the Fund. If you take maternity leave, you can only claim up to 121 days. The Fund pays a percentage of the wage/salary that you earned while you were contributing to the fund. The highest amount that can be paid is 58% of what you earned per day.

How do I claim UIF, where do I start?

          
There are different procedures for claiming the various benefits available:

  • Unemployment benefits
  • Illness benefits
  • Maternity benefits
  • Adoption benefits
  • Death benefits

How do i claim unemployment benefits? What forms do I need? If you want to claim from the Fund you need to go to your nearest Labour Centre. There you will be asked to sign the unemployment register. You will be told when you need to come back and sign the register again. You will have to sign every four weeks to show that you still need to claim the UIF benefits.

You must go back to the office and sign the register on the correct date. If you are ill, you must take a doctor’s certificate with you to the labour centre. You will be given a white card, which the UIF officer will sign each time you sign the register.


If everything is in order, you should start getting money from the Fund within eight weeks of registering. The money will then be paid every four weeks, until all the benefits are used up. If you don’t receive your money in eight weeks, you should phone the Labour Centre and ask them to find out why there is a delay. Remember to have your name and ID number ready. You will receive a slip every time you receive money so that you can see how much you have received and how much you can still get.

             
To claim unemployment benefits you need to have:

  • a copy of 13-digit bar-coded identity document
  • a copy of your last six payslips
  • information supplied by your employer (UI19)
  • a service certificate from the employer
  • proof of registration as a work seeker
  • a fully completed registration form.

If you want to receive unemployment benefits you need to be prepared to:

  • Go for training or career counseling if the UIF officer asks you to.
  • Be available for work. If you are offered work, you need to be ready to work.
  • Go to different companies to ask for work. You will get a form that needs to be signed showing that you have looked for work and that there are no jobs available.

You need to collect your unemployment benefits from the Labour Centre on the date they said the money will be there. You have to collect the money yourself and you must have your white card and ID book with you.

How do I claim for ilness benefits? What forms do I need?

To apply for illness benefits, you need to register at the Labour Centre nearest to you. If you are too ill to go to the office yourself, a friend or family member can get the form from the office and bring it to you to sign. The signed form then needs to be returned to the Labour Office.You will need:

  • a copy of your bar-coded identity document
  • copies of your last 6 payslips
  • information supplied by your employer (UI19)
  • a service certificate from the employer
  • proof of banking details
  • a statement of amount received from your employer during the period of the illness
  • a fully completed registration form.

You also need to submit a medical certificate (Form UF86) from your doctor. You need to get your doctor to complete the appropriate section of Form UF86 and then submit this to the UIF claims officer at the Labour Centre. The Department of Labour will consider the application and post Form UF87 to you. You need to complete this form and your doctor needs to sign it. You then submit this form to the claims officer as well.

             
You will be paid benefits for the time that the doctor has booked you off work but not for the first 2 weeks off work. You will also only be paid for the time that you have not received normal wages from your employer. Illness benefits will be paid to you by cheque and posted to you.

           
Remember, you cannot claim illness benefits if your illness was caused by your own misconduct or if you unreasonably refuse treatment or fail to follow the doctor’s instructions. If you have lost your job as well as being too ill to work, you need to inform the claims officer of this because you might also be able to claim unemployment benefits for the period not covered by the illness benefits.

CLAIMING MATERNITY BENEFITS

To claim maternity benefits, you need to register at the Labour Office and get a medical certificate on the correct form from your doctor.

To register you will need:

  • a copy of 13-digit bar-coded identity document
  • Copies of your last 6 payslips
  • information supplied by your employer (UI19)
  • a service certificate from the employer
  • proof of your banking details
  • a statement of amount received from employer during maternity leave
  • a fully completed registration form.

      
When you register, you will be given Form UF92. This form must be filled in by your doctor. You then submit this form to the UIF claims officer at the Labour Office. The claim will be paid by cheque which will be posted to you. To apply for benefits after the baby is born, you need to complete Form UF95 with help from the doctor who delivered the baby. If you are also unemployed, then you must notify the claims officer.

How do I claim for adoption benefits? What document/ forms do I need?

If you want to claim adoption benefits, you need to register with a claims officer at your nearest Labour Centre.

You will need to have:

  • a copy of your identity document
  • copies of your last 6 payslips
  • your employer’s details on form UI19
  • a service certificate issued by your employer
  • the adoption order
  • proof of your banking details
  • a statement of amount that you have received from your employer during your adoption leave
  • a copy of your adopted child’s birth certificate.

You must apply for the benefits within six months of the adoption order being issued. Adoption benefits are paid by cheque through the post. A form will accompany the payment. This form must be filled in and sent back to the claims officer at the labour centre.

CLAIMING DEATH BENEFITS

The husband or wife of the deceased worker and any minor children of the worker can claim death benefits from the UIF. You must apply for these benefits within six months of the death of the worker.

        
If you were the husband or wife of the deceased worker, you need to go to the Labour Centre and fill in Form UF126. You will need to have:

  • your identity document
  • copies of the deceased’s last six payslips
  • the employer’s details on form UI19
  • a certified copy of the death certificate
  • a certified copy of your marriage certificate
  • a service certificate from the employer
  • proof of your banking details.

If you are the child of the deceased worker, you can claim by completing Form UF127 and submitting it at the Labour Centre. You will need:

  • a copy of your identity document
  • copies of the last six payslips of the deceased
  • information supplied by the employer on form UI19
  • a service certificate from the employer.
  • a certificate copy of your (the child’s) birth certificate
  • proof of your banking details.
  • a certified copy of the death certificate
  • proof of guardianship
  • proof that you (the child) are a learner who was dependent on the deceased.

The Labour Office will give you Form UF128, which needs to be filled in by the deceased’s last employer and then submitted at the Labour Centre. The death benefit is the amount that the worker could have claimed if they were unemployed. This is paid out in one payment.

When should I apply for maternity pay?

In SA, working moms get up to four months of paid maternity leave. In order to take care of your newborn without too many financial worries, you’ll need to fill in a few documents and pay a visit (or three) to the Department of Home Affairs. But here’s a rough guide for new moms looking to claim UIF maternity benefits:

You can claim UIF Maternity Benefits if:

  • You are a South African citizen in possession of a valid green bar-coded ID Book
  • Are a foreign national with a valid passport and meet basic UIF Maternity Benefit criteria
  • You pay UIF contributions on a monthly basis
  • You are adopting a kid under the age of two years old
  • Are self-employed, and you are a member of a Closed Corporation or a Company

You can NOT claim UIF Maternity Benefits if:

  • You work less than 24 hours a month for any given employer
  • You are a student
  • You work as a public servant
  • You receive a monthly state pension
  • You only earn commission

Documents you’ll need to claim UIF Maternity Benefits

After the birth of your baby, you will need a total of 8 documents in order to apply for and claim maternity benefits in South Africa. These include:

  • Two recent payslips
  • A bank statement
  • An original ID or passport or a certified copy of either one of these documents
  • Banking details and a completed form UI-2.8
  • A completed UI-2.7 form, completed by your employer, stating a record of all the funds you received as an employee during your time of employment
  • A completed form UI-2.3, which is the UIF Maternity Benefits application form
  • A medical certificate or your baby’s birth certificate as proof that you actually had a baby
  • A completed form UI-4 (follow up form), which ensures the continuation of payment of maternity benefits

Where to claim maternity benefits in South Africa

New moms will have to go to their nearest labour centre in order to submit the documentation before they can receive maternity benefits.

You can expect compensation of between 38% and 58% of your gross monthly salary when applying for your UIF Maternity Benefits.  New moms are entitled to between one and four month’s salary for every six months they have worked.

More Information on UIF

Does bonus have UIF?

Yes UIF is payable on a bonus. My question is, when paying an annual bonus, do I calculate UIF as if the bonus is a separate month, or is it considered to be part of the same month and therefore subject to the monthly limit.It’s actually a good question.

Let me answer it this way (which should prevent me from leading you astray).

I use ufiling for filing my monthly UIF returns.
When I pay my annual bonus, I declare the taxable income (minus UIF applicable exclusions, of course – see this page on UIF for more details) for that month, and a number of staff end up crossing the UIF leviable earnings ceiling (monthly value).
Ufiling applies the monthly UIF ceiling limit, and does not appear to “annualise” the effect of the bonus either in the month the bonus is declared, or in the periods that follow.

So effectively, uFiling recognises the bonus (and the fact that it has resulted in leviable income crossing the earnings ceiling) in the month the bonus is declared.

More Information on UIF

Is UIF paid on overtime?

What should I get out in total after PAYE and UIF if my salary is R14700-00 and my overtime was R4055-17? Tax you will pay / PAYE (Pay As You Earn) for your age group and income bracket: R 2716.12 (as per PAYE tables provided by SARS)
Take home pay = Gross salary – PAYE – UIF


UIF / Unemployment Insurance Fund is levied at 1% of your taxable income, at most R148.72/month
Take home pay = R 18755.16 – R 2716.12 – R 148.72
Take home pay: R 15890.32

In summary, UIF is calculated on gross and gross includes overtime.

More Information on UIF

Is UIF calculated before or after tax?

CALCULATING UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE FUND (UIF) CONTRIBUTIONS


UIF is Calculated on gross income. The calculation of UIF is not a simple matter of applying 1% to the gross pay of an employee. The calculation of the amount of income that is subject to UIF, is set out in the UIF Act and the Income Tax Act.

The Unemployment Insurance Contributions Act, 2002 states the following:
“Subject to subsection (2), the amount of the contribution payable in terms of section 5 –
a) by an employee, must be one per cent of the remuneration paid or payable to that
employee by his or her employer during any month; and
b) by an employer in respect of any one of its employees, must be equal to one per cent of the
REMUNERATION paid or payable by that employer to that employee during any month.


REMUNERATION means “remuneration” as defined in paragraph 1 of the Fourth Schedule to the Income Tax Act, but does not include any amount paid or payable to an employee –
(a) by way of any pension, superannuation allowance or retiring allowance;
(b) which constitutes an amount contemplated in paragraphs (a), (cA), (d), (e) or (eA) of the
definition of “gross income” in section 1 of the Income Tax Act; or
(c) by way of commission”
Following from this, the Income Tax Act, 1962 (Act, 1962 defines “remuneration” as follows:
“Remuneration” means any amount of income which is paid or is payable to any person by way of any salary, leave pay, wage, overtime pay, bonus, gratuity, commission, fee, emolument
pension, superannuation allowance, retiring allowance or stipend, whether in cash or
otherwise and whether or not in respect of services rendered, including–
a) any amount referred to in paragraph (a), (c), (cA),(d), (e), (eA) or (f) of the definition of
“gross income” in section one of this Act;
b) any amount required to be included in such person’s gross income under paragraph (i) of
that definition;
bA) any allowance or advance, which must be included in the taxable income of that person in
terms of section 8(1)(a)(i), other thani) an allowance in respect of which paragraph (c) applies;
ii) an allowance or advance paid or granted to that person in respect of
accommodation, meals or other incidental costs while that person is obliged to
spend at least one night away from his or her usual place of residence in the
Republic”
and so forth – refer to the relevant act for more information

More Information on UIF

Does UIF expire?

Does the right to claim a UIF dependants’ benefit expire?

Question:

hi I’m Thobile my dad died in 2012 n we r 3 beneficiaries we got paid for his provident fund what I would like to know is that can we still claim for his uif or his wife has the ryt since he was married to him or can we as his children do it and I would also like to know if is it to late to claim for the uif.

Answer:

Thobile, Unfortunately, the right to claim the UIF dependants’ benefit expires six months after the deceased’s passing.

More Information on UIF

What is the retirement age in South Africa?

The question of retirement age in South Africa
can be thorny at best.

YEI unpacks the topic of the retirement age in South Africa

Baby boomers are retiring in their scores. The only issue is that many baby boomers are not ready to retire, mostly because of financial reasons. but also because they are not ready to be “put out to pasture”. Boomers want to keep active in their areas of expertise, skill, and knowledge. Way before the “Big Birthday” looms, employers and employees need to have their ducks in a row in order to prevent any uncertainty, trouble, and dispute.

As comedian George Burns said: “Retirement at 65 is ridiculous! When I was 65, I still had pimples!”.

First things first. You cannot be forced to retire unless this is specified in your employment contract. If you do not have an employment contract that specifically speaks about the retirement age, you cannot be discriminated against because of your age and you should be allowed to work for as long you are physically and mentally able. But it really is in your best interests and the best interests of the company to agree on a retirement age.

Let’s unpack all of those statements:

Labour Relations Act

The Labour Relations Act, section 187 (1) (f) cites that in the absence of an employment contract specifying retirement age, dismissalof an employee based on his/her age is automatically unfair. This kind of dispute can be taken to the Labour Court and it is possible that should the employee win the case, compensation will be awarded in an amount of up to 24 months of the employee’s remuneration.

Employment contract with employer,
stipulating retirement at a certain age

If you have a retirement age stipulated in your employment contract, then that’s it. Be prepared to pack up and go on retirement, making sure you make preparation for retirement and leaving the workforce.

But what is the legally required retirement age?

The Basic Conditions of Employment Act does not prescribe an age at which employees should retire. Labour legislation is silent on determining the retirement age. Could it be 55, 60 or 65? It is therefore up to the employer to prescribe the retirement age for its employees with the best and safest course of action, having a formal retirement policy in place, and a written agreement with every employee specifying a compulsory retirement date.

Agreement with employer on retirement age, or company norm

If retirement age is not stipulated in your contract, but it has been agreed, and there is a company norm, then the employer is well within their rights to give you a notice period, which will equal that of a notice period for termination of employment, as set out in your employment contract. A company or organisational norm will generally be found in the company policy or in the rules of the provident or pension fund rules pertaining to the company.

No agreement and no mention of retirement in your contract

What now? No mention of a retirement age in your agreement or contract, and there is no company or organisational norm? The courts have found that it is unfair discrimination for your services to be terminated, purely because of your age. You should be able to continue to work until such time as it is proven that you are unable to do your job properly. Terminated contracts have to be in line with labour legislation i.e. due to misconduct, operational requirements or incompetence.

Unfair treatment

Penny van den Berg, HR Specialist Consultant at Optimise HR, says: If you believe that you have been unfairly treated by your employer, then you can lodge a complaint with the CCMA which ensures that all employees are treated fairly. Other than time, it costs you nothing to lodge a complaint and you don’t need to incur any legal costs.”

Working post-retirement age

It is in the best interests of the employer and the employee to clearly define and record the terms of employment after retirement age has come and gone. Issues like how long the employee can work for, and what notice period is required regarding termination of employment need to be laid out in an extended employment contract.

Older Person’s Grant

Social grants are administered by the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa). This does include the Older Person’s Grant. Social grants in South Africa are currently ‘means tested’. The means test is the process of assessing the value of your assets and income. You will only be eligible for a grant if your income and assets fall below a certain threshold.

More Information on UIF

How do I register for UIF?

Employers can register at the UIF in the following ways: 

  • Registering online  

Step 1: Get the necessary information (ID numbers, addresses of employers and workers) ready.

Step 2: Complete the online registration forms. 

Note: Onlineregistration is not yet active. 

The best alternative will be to complete the UI-8 and UI-19 forms and submit them at your nearest UIF office for processing. After this, you will be issued with a reference number, with which you can complete the registration processes online. 

  • Registering via e-mail 

Step 1: Get the UI-8 and UI-19 (for business employers); or the  UI-8D and UI-19 (for domestic employers) from the website.

Step 2: Employers must complete the forms for both themselves and their workers. This form of registration of workers asks for an employer reference number. However, if the employer does not have a reference number yet, this part can be left open. The UIF will create a reference number and send it to the employer.

Step 3: Both domestic and commercial employers can e-mail the forms to webmaster@uif.gov.za.

  • Registering via telephone

Step 1: Get the necessary information (ID numbers and addresses of employers and workers) ready before phoning the UIF.

Step 2: Phone the UIF at 012 337 1680 and follow the instructions of the UIF official.

Note: Telephonic registration is not yet active. 

The best alternative will be to complete the UI-8 and UI-19 forms and submit them at your nearest UIF office for processing. After this, you will be issued with a reference number, with which you can complete the registration processes. 

  • Registering via fax 

Step 1: Get the UI-8 (commercial employers) or the UI-8D and UI-19 (domestic/private employers) forms from your nearest Department of Labour office, or on the Department of Labour’s website.

Step 2: Fill in the forms. Employers must complete the forms for both themselves and their workers. This form of registration of workers asks for an employer reference number. However, if the employer does not have a reference number yet, this part can be left open. The UIF will create a reference number and send it to the employer.

Step 3: Fax the completed forms back to the UIF at 086 713 3000.

  • Registering via mail 

Step 1: Get the UI-8 (commercial employers) or the UI-8D and UI-19 (domestic/private employers) forms from your nearest Department of Labour office, or on the Department of Labour’s website.

Step 2: Fill in the forms. Employers must complete the forms for both themselves and their workers. This form of registration of workers asks for an employer reference number. However, if the employer does not have a reference number yet, this part can be left open. The UIF will create a reference number and send it to the employer.

Step 3: Mail the forms to the UIF at: The UIF, Pretoria, 0052.

  • Registering at a labour centre  

​Step 1: Get the necessary information (ID numbers and addresses of employers and workers) ready before visiting a labour centre near you.

Step 2: Get the UI-8 (commercial employers) or the UI-8D and UI-19 (domestic/private employers) forms from your nearest Department of Labour office.

Step 3: Fill in the forms. Employers must complete the forms for both themselves and their workers. This form of registration of workers asks for an employer reference number. However, if the employer does not have a reference number yet, this part can be left open. The UIF will create a reference number and send it to the employer.

Step 4: Hand in the forms to the labour centre staff.

The UIF uFiling online service 

uFiling is a free, secure and easy-to-use system allowing employers to update individual employee salary details. It enables a streamlined UIF declaration returns process and automatically calculates the UIF contributions associated with your monthly return.

uFiling integrates securely with the UIF systems when issued declarations are submitted and contribution payments are made.

Leveraging the flexibility of the internet, uFiling gives employers 24/7 access to UIF declaration information from anywhere in the world, provided you have an internet connection.

With regular updates and automated e-mail notifications from uFiling, you are now able to use uFiling to help ensure you as an employer will remain compliant with the latest UIF legislative requirements, eliminating the stress and hassles usually associated with compliance.

There are different steps to take to activate the specific uFiling account applicable to you.

Please consult the uFiling System User Guide for step-by-step instructions.

More Information on UIF

What forms are needed to claim UIF?

Claiming unemployment benefits, If you want to claim from the UIF you need to go to your nearest Labour Office. There you will be asked to sign the unemployment register. You will be told when you need to come back and sign the register again. You will have to sign every four weeks to show that you still need to claim the UIF benefits. You must go back to the office and sign the register on the correct date. If you are ill, you must take a doctor’s certificate with you to the labour centre.

You will be given a white card, which the UIF officer will sign each time you sign the register.

If everything is in order, you should start getting money from the fund within eight weeks of registering. The money will then be paid every four weeks, until all the benefits are used up.

If you don’t receive your money in eight weeks, you should phone the Labour Centre and ask them to find out why there is a delay. Remember to have your name and ID number ready.

You will receive a slip every time you receive money so that you can see how much you have received and how much you can still get.

To claim unemployment benefits you need to have:

  • A copy of 13-digit bar-coded identity document.
  • A copy of your last six payslips.
  • Information supplied by your employer (UI-19).
  • A service certificate from the employer.
  • Proof of registration as a work seeker.
  • A fully completed registration form.

If you want to receive unemployment benefits you need to be prepared to:

  • Go for training or career counseling if the UIF officer asks you to.
  • Be available for work. If you are offered work, you need to be ready to work.
  • Go to different companies to ask for work. You will get a form that needs to be signed showing that you have looked for work and that there are no jobs available.

You need to collect your unemployment benefits from the Labour Office on the date they said the money will be there. You have to collect the money yourself and you must have your white card and ID book with you.

Claiming illness benefits

To apply for illness benefits, you need to register at the Labour Office nearest to you. If you are too ill to go to the office yourself, a friend or family member can get the form from the office and bring it to you to sign. The signed form then needs to be returned to the Labour Office.

You will need:

  • A copy of your bar-coded identity document.
  • Copies of your last six payslips.
  • Information supplied by your employer (UI-19).
  • A service certificate from the employer.
  • Proof of banking details.
  • A statement of amount received from your employer during the period of the illness.
  • A fully completed registration form.

You also need to submit a medical certificate (Form UF86) from your doctor. You need to get your doctor to complete the appropriate section of Form UF86 and then submit this to the UIF claims officer at the Labour Office.

The Department of Labour will consider the application and post Form UF87 to you. You need to complete this form and your doctor needs to sign it. You then submit this form to the claims officer as well.

You will be paid benefits for the time that the doctor has booked you off work but not for the first two weeks off work. You will also only be paid for the time that you have not received normal wages from your employer.

Illness benefits will be paid to you by cheque and posted to you.

Remember, you cannot claim illness benefits if your illness was caused by your own misconduct or if you unreasonably refuse treatment or fail to follow the doctor’s instructions.

If you have lost your job as well as being too ill to work, you need to inform the claims officer of this because you might also be able to claim unemployment benefits for the period not covered by the illness benefits.

Claiming maternity benefits

To claim maternity benefits, you need to register at the Labour Office in person or organise for someone to go in your place. All necessary documents must go with the applicant to the labour office.

To register you will need:

  • A 13-digit bar-coded identity document or passport.
  • Copies of your last six payslips
  • Form UI-2.8 for banking details.
  • Information supplied by your employer (UI-19).
  • A service certificate from the employer.
  • Proof of your banking details.
  • A statement of amount received from employer during maternity leave.
  • Form UI-2.7.
  • Form UI-2.3 (application form).
  • Medical certificate from a doctor or birth certificate of the baby.
  • Form UI-4 (follow-up form).
  • Fully completed registration form.

When you register, you will be given Form UF92. This form must be filled in by your doctor. You then submit this form to the UIF claims officer at the Labour Office.

The claim will be paid by cheque, which will be posted to you. To apply for benefits after the baby is born, you need to complete Form UF95 with help from the doctor who delivered the baby. If you are also unemployed, then you must notify the claims officer.

Claiming adoption benefits

If you want to claim adoption benefits, you need to register with a claims officer at your nearest Labour Office.

You will need to have:

  • A copy of your identity document.
  • Copies of your last six payslips.
  • Your employer’s details on form UI-19.
  • A service certificate issued by your employer.
  • The adoption order.
  • Proof of your banking details.
  • A statement of amount that you have received from your employer during your adoption leave.
  • A copy of your adopted child’s birth certificate.

You must apply for the benefits within six months of the adoption order being issued.

Adoption benefits are paid by cheque through the post. A form will accompany the payment. This form must be filled in and sent back to the claims officer at the Labour Office.

Claiming death benefits

The husband or wife of the deceased worker and any minor children of the worker can claim death benefits from the UIF.

You must apply for these benefits within six months of the death of the worker.

If you were the husband or wife of the deceased worker, you need to go to the Labour Office. You will need to have:

  • Your identity document.
  • Copies of the deceased’s last six payslips.
  • The employer’s details on form UI-19.
  • A certified copy of the death certificate.
  • A certified copy of your marriage certificate.
  • A service certificate from the employer.
  • Proof of your banking details.

If you are the child of the deceased worker, you can claim by completing Form UF127 and submitting it at the Labour Office. You will need:

  • A copy of your identity document.
  • Copies of the last six payslips of the deceased.
  • Information supplied by the employer on form UI-19.
  • A service certificate from the employer.
  • A certificate copy of your (the child’s) birth certificate.
  • Proof of your banking details.
  • A certified copy of the death certificate.
  • Proof of guardianship.
  • Proof that you (the child) are a learner who was dependent on the deceased.

The Labour Office will give you Form UF128, which needs to be filled in by the deceased’s last employer and then submitted at the Labour Office.

The death benefit is the amount that the worker could have claimed if they were unemployed. This is paid out in one payment.

More Information on UIF