As an employed contributor to the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), you can apply for maternity benefits when you go on maternity leave.
In order to qualify for these benefits, you will need to be receiving less than your normal income while you are on maternity leave.
Here’s everything you need to know about applying for maternity benefits.
How to apply for maternity UIF
Applying for maternity benefits can be done at a labour centre or online via uFiling.
Applying at a labour centre:
Workers that want to claim maternity benefits at a labor center can do so using the following steps:
Step 1: Complete the documents
Before heading to the labour center to complete the claim process, you will need to get the following documents ready:
- 13-digit bar-coded ID or passport
- Form UI-19 (completed by employer)
- Form UI-2.7 (completed by employer)
- Form UI-2.8 (for banking details)
- Form UI-2.3 (application form)
- Form UI-4 (follow-up form) and
- Medical certificate from a doctor or birth certificate of the baby.
Step 2: Head to the labour centre
You will then need to go to the nearest labour center and hand in the completed documents. If you are too ill, you can organise for someone else to go in your place. Staff at the labour centre will assist them with all the processes and give them more information.
Note: If you are sending someone on your behalf, ensure that they have all the relevant and completed supporting documents, as mentioned above.
Step 3: Complete the process
The staff at the labour centre may ask you to go to the doctor again or to visit the labour centre at certain times. It is strongly advisable to do what they ask, or they may not be able to process the claim successfully.
Applying via uFiling:
uFiling is a relatively new platform from the Employment and Labour Department. It is a secure Online system introduced to Employers to register, declare and pay UIF contributions.
As an Employee, you can:
- Submit a Claim for various Unemployment Insurance Fund Benefits, such as unemployment, maternity, and illness.
- Submit a request for Payment for various Unemployment Insurance Fund Benefits.
- View Historic Claims.
- Submit Notices of Appeal.
All you need to do is visit www.ufiling.labour.gov.za and register. You will be able to submit all supporting documents easily on this platform.
Can I apply for maternity UIF online
Yes! The Employment and Labour Department released the uFiling platform to allow employers and employees to manage UIF-related filing and claims easily online.
As an Employee, you can do the following online:
- Submit a Claim for various Unemployment Insurance Fund Benefits, such as unemployment, maternity, and illness.
- Submit a request for Payment for various Unemployment Insurance Fund Benefits.
- View Historic Claims.
- Submit Notices of Appeal.
All you need to do is visit www.ufiling.labour.gov.za and register. You will be able to submit all supporting documents easily on this platform.
How much will UIF pay me on maternity leave
The UIF benefit is between 38 – 58% of your salary (up to a maximum of R12,478).
For example: If your salary is R12,478 or more, you will receive R155.89 per day (which equates to around R4,676 per month). You cannot receive more than this maximum amount.
If your salary is R5,000 per month, you can expect about R72.96 per day (R2,188 per month).
A person earning a salary of R 3,000 per month can expect about R47.62 per day (R1,428 per month).
If you are paid by the hour, you will need to add your last six months’ salary together and then divide by six. Do the same with your UIF contributions. The answer will be the monthly salary and UIF contribution that will be used on the UI.19 and UI2.7 forms.
What documents do you need to apply for maternity UIF?
There are several relevant documents required when applying for maternity benefits. Here’s a list:
- 13-digit bar-coded ID or passport;
- Form UI-19 (completed by employer);
- Form UI-2.7 (completed by employer);
- Form UI-2.3 (application form) This is a yellow form and needs to be completed and submitted in yellow as the Department of Labour will only accept the “original” form;
- Form UI-2.8 (for banking details); This form has a section that will be required to be completed by your bank to verify your account to which the money will be transferred to.
- Form UI-4 (follow-up form); This is a yellow form and needs to be completed and submitted in yellow as the Department of Labour will only accept the “original” form; and
- Medical certificate from a doctor or birth certificate of the baby.
Who qualifies for UIF maternity benefits?
You can claim maternity benefits:
- Workers on maternity leave, who pay UIF every month, can claim from the Department of Labour, but only if the full monthly salary is not being received while on maternity leave.
- Workers who miscarry in the third trimester or have a stillborn child can claim for six weeks.
- If you have claimed maternity benefits within the last four years, you are still eligible to claim again.
You cannot claim maternity benefits:
- If a claim for any other type of benefits from the Department of Labour has been submitted in the last four years, for example, because you got retrenched or were sick, you will probably not be able to claim maternity benefits. You will need to phone the Department to check your UIF status.
- If UIF is not being deducted from your salary every month, you cannot claim. (By law, your employer is supposed to deduct UIF if you work for more than 24 hours per month).
- You must have a bar-coded ID book. If you are not a South African citizen, you cannot claim.
- If you are the owner of your own business, you probably cannot claim. You will need to phone the Department to discuss your options, as there are ways around this.
