1. Who can claim maternity UIF?
2. Who cannot claim
maternity UIF?
3. I have changed jobs in
the last four years, how does this affect my claim?
4. My employer pays a
portion of my salary, can I still claim UIF?
5. When do I submit my
application to the UIF?
6. Is there a deadline
for submitting my maternity UIF claim?
7. For how long can I
claim maternity UIF benefits?
8. How long does it take
before first payment is made?
9. How much money will I
receive from the UIF?
10. How does the money
get paid to me?
11. Do I need to pay tax
on my monthly UIF payment?
12. I own my own
business, can I claim UIF benefits?
13. I get an hourly wage,
how would I calculate my monthly salary and benefit contributions?
14. I want to resign; can
I still claim maternity UIF?
ANSWERS
1. Who can claim maternity UIF?
You must be a South African citizen.
Workers who pay UIF every month can claim from
the Department of Labour for a period of four months if they do not
receive their full salary whilst on maternity leave.
Workers who miscarry in their third trimester or
have a stillborn child can claim maternity UIF for a period of six
weeks.
If you are adopting a child under the age of two
years.
Self employed individuals who are members of a
Closed Corporation or a Company may claim UIF.
Foreign nationals with a valid passport (who
fulfil all other UIF criteria for a claim)
2. Who cannot claim maternity UIF?
Foreigners working on a contract basis.
Workers who have not paid UIF on a monthly basis.
Workers whose employer is paying their full
salary whilst they are on maternity leave.
Workers who have claimed any other type of
benefits from the Department of Labour in the last four years
(retrenchment, illness etc) would probably have their maternity
claim rejected. The exception to this is a maternity claim in the
last four years – a worker would be able to claim maternity benefits
again.
Workers who get a monthly state pension or
receive a grant from the Compensation Fund.
Workers who work for government departments may
not be able to claim. Do a check with employer.
A sole proprietor cannot claim UIF.
Please note that, when making use of Mamma’s UIF
services it is your responsibility to ensure that you are eligible
to make a claim. Mamma’s UIF cannot be held responsible for your
application being rejected by the Department of Labour.
3. I have changed jobs in
the last four years, how does this affect my claim?
If you have changed jobs in the last 4 years,
your previous employer will have to complete a UI.19 form in order
for you to receive maximum credits for your 4 months UIF payment.
4. My employer pays a
portion of my salary, can I still claim UIF?
Yes. When your employer does not pay your full
monthly salary you can claim the balance from UIF. The golden rule
here is that you cannot receive more than 100% of your salary from
your employer and UIF combined.
5. When do I submit my
application to the UIF?
Although the Department of Labour website
states that you can submit your UIF forms eight weeks prior to
commencing your maternity leave this does not work well in practice.
The systems at the Department of Labour will only accept a UIF claim
once your maternity leave has officially begun. That is when your
application must be submitted. You can start your maternity leave
one month prior to your due date.
If your employer is paying the first month or
two months of maternity leave to you in full then you can only
submit your application when you no longer receive your full monthly
remuneration.
6. Is there a deadline
for submitting my maternity UIF claim?
Yes, you cannot claim after the baby is six
months old.
7. For how long can I
claim maternity UIF benefits?
You may claim maternity UIF for four
consecutive months (121 days). For every month worked prior to your
maternity leave UIF will pay you one months benefits. This means
that in order to claim four months of maternity benefits you will
need to have been working (and paying UIF) for two years.
8. How long does it take
before first payment is made?
Normally it takes anywhere between five to
eight weeks from the date that your application is submitted. Once
your application has been approved a UI.4 document will need to be
submitted to the Department of Labour on a monthly basis for
continuation of payment until your four month maternity period is
over.
A “kickstart”
payment is usually made as soon as the UI.4 (confirming the birth of
your baby) has been submitted to the Department of Labour.
9. How much money will I
receive from the UIF?
UIF pays out between 38% and 58% of your
monthly salary. The percentage decreases the more you earn, up to a
cap of R12,478.00.
10. How does the money
get paid to me?
Your claim gets paid directly into your bank account (which is why
you need to submit a document, stamped by your bank, showing proof
of your banking details. Your bank account must be in your name
otherwise the payment will not be made.
11. Do I need to pay tax
on my monthly UIF payment?
No. No tax is payable on the benefits.
12. I own my own
business, can I claim UIF benefits?
It depends on the business entity you own. If
you are a member of a Closed Corporation or Company then you can
claim UIF benefits – as long as you are registered for UIF and have
been paying it on a monthly basis. If you are a Sole Proprietor then
you cannot claim.
13. I get an hourly wage,
I would I calculate my monthly salary and benefit contributions?
The monthly
average of your last six months salary and the monthly average of
your last six months UIF contributions are used to calculate the
amounts used on your claim documents (UI 2.7 and UI 19).
14. I want to resign, can
I still claim maternity UIF?
Maternity is the only instance where you can
claim UIF benefits after resigning. You can claim four months
maternity benefits if you resign while you are pregnant or after
going on maternity leave (as long as you have satisfied all other
criteria for claiming UIF).
