Q:Who can claim maternity UIF Benefits?

A:Employees who are on Maternity Leave and have contributed to UIF each
month. The applicant must have a green bar coded SA ID book and Foreign
Nationals must have a valid Foreign Passport.

Q:Who cannot claim maternity UIF Benefits?

A:Employees who work less than 24 hours per month, Learners, Public
Servants, Foreigners working on contract and Commission earners.
Employees who are receiving 100% of their salary whilst on maternity leave.

Q:Can I claim UIF Benefits if my employer is paying me a
portion of my salary?

A:Yes you can. When your employer does not pay you 100% of your salary
whilst on maternity leave, you can claim the rest from the Unemployment
Insurance Fund (UIF). (Remember you cannot receive more than 100% of your
salary from the department and your employer combined)

Q:For how many months can I claim UIF Benefits?

A:By law you are not allowed back to work within 6 weeks after the birth of your
baby. The UIF pays a max of 121days (4 months). They take the last 5 years of
your UIF contribution in consideration. For every six weeks that you have
contributed, you qualify for 1 day

Q:How long does it take before I get my first payment?

A:It takes 4-6 weeks (under normal circumstances) from the date that your
application was officially submitted for your application to be approved and your
first payment to be made. There after we will be submitting your UI4 form on a
monthly basis and payment will be made monthly into your account.

Q:Do I have to submit my application before or after I go
on maternity leave?

A:Unfortunately the Department of Labour cannot process your application
before your maternity leave has officially started. You can only submit your
application the moment that you do not receive your full remuneration from your
employer. We however check your application for approval before your
maternity leave starts, so that when you do start on your official maternity leave
your forms are 100% correct and ready and we can just submit your forms for
processing.

Q:How much can I expect to get paid from the
Department of Labour?

A:The UIF pays 38% - 58% of your gross salary. The ceiling salary is
R11662.00. The max amount the UIF pays is R4079.00 per month. So even if
you earn R15000.00 p.m, you will still receive R4079.00. They do not deduct
tax. This amount can differ if you receive more than one third of your gross
salary by your employer

Q:I own my own business, can I claim UIF Benefits?

A:If you are the member of a Close Corporation or a Pty you can claim UIF. If
you are a Sole Proprietor you cannot claim UIF

Q:I get paid by the hour, can I claim UIF Benefits?

A:Yes you can. If you get paid by the hour: Add the last six months salary and
divide it by six, do the same with your UIF contributions. This is the monthly
salary and UIF contribution that we will use in the UI.19 and UI2.7 forms

Q:Can I claim UIF even if I have resigned?

A:Yes, you can claim 4 months maternity benefits if you resign while you are
pregnant (This is the only time that you can claim UIF when you resign).

Q:My baby is already 2 months old. Can I still claim UIF
Benefits?

A:You have to apply within 6 months from the start of your maternity
leave/baby's birth (which ever was first).

Q:I have claimed maternity benefits within the last four
years, can I claim now again?

A:You cannot claim for maternity benefits if you have claimed any other UIF
benefits apart from maternity benefits in the last 4 years.