This is the starting point for every UIF page on bursaryforms.co.za. Rather than repeat what each guide says, it sorts them by the job you are trying to get done: claiming, following up a claim, estimating a payout, finding a form, or running payroll as an employer. Pick the heading that matches your situation and follow the link.
One change affects almost every UIF task in 2026. Worker benefit claims moved to the new UIF Online system, which launched in April 2025, and the old uFiling route for worker claims closed on 20 May 2026. Older advice that tells you to “claim on uFiling” is out of date. uFiling remains in use for employer services while the department moves those across.
I need to claim
- The overall process, online or at a labour centre: how to apply for UIF.
- Setting up your worker profile first: UIF online registration.
- You left your job yourself: can you claim UIF if you resign?
- What to gather before you start: UIF requirements checklist.
I already have a claim running
- Where your application stands: UIF status check.
- Confirming you are still unemployed each cycle: signing online for UIF payment.
- When the money should arrive: UIF payment dates.
- A claim that was rejected or stalled: fixing an incomplete UIF claim.
I want to know how much I might get
UIF benefits follow a sliding scale set in law, so lower earners get a larger percentage of their pay back, and earnings above the R17 712 monthly ceiling are ignored. The method is explained step by step in how the UIF payout is calculated, and how long payments can last is covered under how many months UIF pays. Treat any figure from a calculator as an estimate; only the UIF’s own assessment is final.
I need a form
Every official UIF form, from the UI-2.1 unemployment application to the UI-19 employer declaration, is listed with its purpose in our UIF forms index, with links to the Department of Employment and Labour’s own PDF copies. Expectant mothers can go straight to the maternity forms page.
I employ people
Every new employer, including a household employing a domestic worker, must register with the UI Commissioner. You then deduct 1% from each worker’s pay, add 1% of your own and pay it over each month, mostly through SARS. Start with registering as a UIF employer, then see completing the UI-19 as an employer for the declarations your staff will need when they claim.
The benefits in brief
Unemployment and reduced work time. Unemployment benefits are for workers whose contract ended through dismissal, retrenchment or the end of a fixed-term contract. You apply within 12 months. Reduced work time benefits help people who are still employed but whose hours, and income, have been cut below what they would get if fully unemployed.
Illness. If a doctor declares you unable to work for 7 days or longer, the UIF can pay for the period the medical report supports, as far as your credits allow. Apply as soon as you can after becoming ill.
Maternity, parental, adoption and commissioning parental. Mothers can receive up to 121 days at 66% of earnings, capped at the ceiling. Parental benefit covers 10 days at the birth, adoption benefit covers a legally adopted child under two, and commissioning parental benefit covers surrogacy. A 2025 Constitutional Court ruling on parental leave has not yet changed these UIF benefits; Parliament still has to amend the law.
Dependants. When a contributor dies, a surviving spouse or life partner has 18 months to claim, after which dependent children or a nominated beneficiary may apply. Who qualifies for each benefit, in more detail, is on the UIF benefits page.
Official UIF channels at a glance
- Worker claims and claim tracking: UIF Online.
- Employer registration, declarations and payments: uFiling, until the planned move of employer services to UIF Online is complete.
- In person: any Department of Employment and Labour labour centre.
- By phone: 0800 030 007 (UIF call centre), Monday to Friday from 07:30 until 16:00.
The UIF does not charge anyone to process a claim, and it has no confirmed WhatsApp number. For emails, the switchboard, fraud reporting and other routes, use our UIF contact directory, and if you are unsure which official website handles what, see the guide to the UIF websites. New to the fund altogether? Begin with what UIF is.