What is the (UIF) Unemployment Insurance Fund

The Unemployment Insurance fund (UIF) is a public entity of the Department of Employment and Labour which provides short-term relief to workers when they become unemployed or are unable to work.

Who cannot claim for UIF

• If you have resigned
• An employee that works less than 24 hours a month
• Independent contractors.

• Unemployed contributors (Dismissal, retrenchment, death of the owner of a business, insolvency of an employer, ending a contract, etc.)
• Illness of an employee
• Maternity benefits for a pregnant female
• Adoption
• Death of a spouse
• Paternity benefits for the father of a child
• If an employee loses part of his/her income, while being employed, due to
reduced working hours, s/he may claim benefits from the UIF.

Who can claim for UIF

Illness

• Illness benefits may be claimed by an applicant who is unable to work due to an illness.
• The period of illness must be for more than 7 days. An application for illness benefits must be made within 12 months.
• The applicant will not be entitled to benefits if s/he fails to undergo medical treatment or fails to comply with the instructions of his/her doctor, chiropractor or homeopath.

Maternity / Paternity

• Maternity benefits may be claimed by an applicant who is unable to work due to being pregnant, for any period of her pregnancy, delivery or the period
immediately after her pregnancy.
• Maternity benefits may only be claimed for a period of plus minus 4 months (17.32 weeks). An application for maternity benefits can be made at any time before the birth of her child or within 12 months after.
• An applicant who had a miscarriage during the 3rd trimester of her pregnancy or had a stillbirth may claim maternity benefits.
• Fathers may claim for 10 consecutive days of parental leave

• Adoption benefits may be claimed by an applicant who is unable to work due to him/her adopting a child.
• An applicant may claim adoption benefits from the date of the adoption order. The application for adoption benefits must be made within 6 months after the date of the adoption order.
• Adoption benefits may only be claimed by one of the adoptive parents in order to spent time caring for the child who must be below the age of 2 years.

Adoption

Death / Dependant benefits

• Dependant benefits may be claimed by the surviving spouse or life partner of a deceased employee. If there is no surviving spouse or life partner, a dependent child may claim dependant benefits.
• A deceased employee may nominate a person to claim dependant benefits if
there is no surviving spouse, life partner or dependent child.
• The application for dependant benefits must be made within 18 months after the death of the employee by the surviving spouse or life partner. If the surviving spouse or life partner fails to make such an application within 18 months, the dependant child must make an application for dependant benefits within 14 days.

Can benefits paid by the UIF be attached by a court order?

• No, benefits must be used as an income when the employee is unemployed or unable to work.
• Benefits may not be attached by a court order to pay a debt this is owing by the employee to a third party.
• Benefits may, however, be attached by a court order to pay dependent child or spousal maintenance.
• Benefits may also not be set off against a debt that is owing by the employee.