UIF Calculator: What Will UIF Pay Me?
Work out what UIF pays if you lose your job or go on maternity or parental leave, and for how long.
What you type is saved on this device only and isn’t sent anywhere. UIF works out the final amount.
How to claim
- Ask your employer for your UI-19 form (proof your job ended) and a salary schedule (UI-2.7). Your employer fills these in, not you. For maternity, they confirm what, if anything, they’ll pay you.
- Have your ID and bank details ready (form UI-2.8, stamped by your bank, or a bank letter).
- Apply online on uFiling, or at any labour centre. Parental and death claims are made at a labour centre.
- UIF should approve or reject your claim within 15 working days. Unemployment payments start once it’s approved, paid for the days since your job ended.
- Keep claiming each month if UIF asks you to (form UI-6A, or online), and look for work: you may need to show you’re available.
UIF call centre: 0800 030 007. UIF never asks you to pay to have a claim processed.
A guide to help you plan, not official advice. The UIF makes the final decision. Figures last checked against official sources on .
How it works
The calculator uses the formula in the Labour department’s Know your UIF rights (Department of Employment and Labour, 2022). Your monthly pay, capped at R17 712, becomes daily pay (× 12 ÷ 365). For unemployment, UIF pays a share of that: 29.2 + 7 173.92 ÷ (232.92 + daily pay) percent, which is 38% at the ceiling and close to 60% for the lowest pay. Maternity and parental benefits are 66%.
Credit days and the 238-day rule come from the Unemployment Insurance Amendment Act, 2016: you get one credit day for every completed five days of work, counting the last four years (up to 365). For unemployment, the first 238 days are paid at the rate above and the rest at a flat 20% of your daily pay. Maternity pays up to 121 days and parental leave 10 days. Monthly amounts are an average: the actual payment depends on the days in each month.
Also see salary after tax for what you take home now, including UIF deductions.
Figures last checked against official sources on .
Questions
How much does UIF pay?
UIF pays a share of your average pay over the last six months, before deductions. If you lose your job, the share is on a sliding scale from about 60% for the lowest earners down to 38% at the earnings ceiling of R17 712 a month. Pay above the ceiling isn’t counted. Maternity benefits are a flat 66%.
How long does UIF pay for?
You build up one credit day for every five days you worked and paid UIF, counting the last four years, so four years of work gives about 292 days. UIF pays for as many days as you have credits: for unemployment, the first 238 days at the full rate and any days after that at 20% of your daily pay. Maternity leave is up to 121 days and parental leave 10 days. Days you have already claimed are used up.
Can I claim UIF if I resigned?
No. UIF doesn’t pay unemployment benefits if you resign or abscond, unless the CCMA or a court finds you were forced out (constructive dismissal). It pays if you were dismissed, retrenched or your contract ended.
Who can’t claim UIF?
People who worked fewer than 24 hours a month for an employer, people paid only on commission, and some public office-bearers such as MPs and councillors. If your employer didn’t register you, contact the Labour department: you may still be able to claim.
When must I apply?
For unemployment, within 12 months after your job ended. For maternity, before the birth or within 12 months after it. For illness, within 6 months. For a death, the surviving spouse or partner has 18 months.
My employer pays me during maternity leave. Do I still get UIF?
UIF may pay less, or nothing, if your employer pays you during maternity leave. Together, your pay and UIF can’t be more than your normal pay. Ask your employer what they pay before you apply.