The short answer
If she had been contributing to UIF for less than four years, she can claim one day for every six days worked while contributing.
The whole question
Dear Athalie
My daughter's domestic worker is being denied her UIF on the basis of not having worked enough days. I am not sure this is correct. Where can she go for assistance?
She worked for me for 20 years, but I had to retrench her when I was retrenched. She claimed UIF without issues. She started working for my daughter a few years later (2021) but was unfortunately retrenched again a few months ago (November 2024). My daughter had contributed to her UIF every month, but her claim was rejected.
The long answer
The way the UIF works is that when you claim, and then start working again, you start at the beginning of accumulating days again. If you have worked for four years or more, you accumulate one credit day of UIF for every four days worked up to a maximum of 12 months (a year).
Labour Guide says that if you have been contributing for a period shorter than four years, you can claim one day for every six days you have worked while you have been contributing to the fund.
BizPortal says that to qualify for the full credit days, you must have worked as a contributor for more than four years. They go on to say that the rates at which the benefits are payable are in accordance with the scale of benefits, which ranges between 38–60% for the first 238 credit days and then from 239 to 365 days at a flat rate of 20%.
It seems as if the UIF is saying that in your former domestic worker’s case, she has not contributed long enough to the UIF after starting to work for your daughter to build up sufficient credit days to qualify for a significant unemployment benefit. But as she seems to have worked for two years or more, it is not clear why she should not have built up sufficient credit days (on the basis of 1 credit day for every six days worked) to get at least some unemployment benefit.
She could contact the UIF at their Call Centre and ask them to explain why they have rejected her claim. She should have all her documents on hand. These are the Call Centre numbers:
012 337 1680
080 084 3843
080 084 0800
She could also take her documents to the Department of Labour and Employment and ask them to explain why her claim was rejected and if she can appeal it.
BizPortal says that you can appeal a decision of the Commissioner or a Claims Officer by sending the UI-12 form to your nearest Labour Centre. They say that the form must be accompanied by any documents/proof that reinforces your reason to appeal.
She could also ask the Black Sash, which is an organisation that gives free paralegal advice, to assist her.
These are their contact details:
Email: help@blacksash.org.za
Helpline: 072 66 33 73, 072 633 3739 or 063 610 1865.
Wishing you the best,
Athalie
Answered on Feb. 27, 2025, 10:06 a.m.
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