If you work for more than 24 hours per month, you are required by law to make contributions to the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).
These funds can be accessed should you require short term financial relief for any of the below listed reasons that prevents you from working or if you have been terminated from your job. The UIF also pays benefits to dependents of deceased contributors.
How UIF Claims Work
The UIF uses a credit system to determine how long you may claim benefits for. This process is measured in days. For every four days you work, you will receive one credit. The maximum amount of credits a contributor can acquire is 365 credits/days.
Should you require financial relief, you can make a claim to the UIF. Different forms will be required depending on the reason you are not able to work. Click on the benefit type listed above to see the required documentation and the qualifying conditions needed for the claim process.
Once you complete all the documentation required for a particular claim, you can either choose to submit your claim online or at your nearest department of labour centre.
The claim will be considered by the UIF and if your claim was successful, you will be paid by the fund.
You must apply for benefits immediately or within six months of the period when you were unable to work.
You cannot claim benefits from the UIF if you have not been registered with the fund, resigned, absconded or suspended from work.
