UIF guide

How to Claim UIF Online in South Africa

Use uFiling to apply for UIF benefits online, upload or confirm the required information, and track your claim after submission.

uFiling supports online applications for unemployment, maternity, illness and adoption benefits. The exact screens can change, but the core flow is usually registration, benefit selection, banking details, supporting information and submission.

Before You Start

  • Your South African ID number or valid identity document
  • Your uFiling login details, or time to register a new profile
  • Your employer and termination details, including the reason you stopped working
  • Banking details and UIF documents such as UI-19 and UI-2.8 where required

Step-by-Step Online Claim Process

  1. Open uFiling. Go to the official uFiling login page.
  2. Log in or register. Create a profile if you have not used uFiling before.
  3. Choose the benefit type. Select the relevant UIF benefit, such as unemployment or maternity.
  4. Confirm your information. Check personal details, employment information and banking details carefully.
  5. Submit the application. Keep your reference number and check your status regularly.
If your banking details are incorrect on uFiling, the official uFiling guidance says you may need to update them using the UI-2.8 form.

After You Apply

Use the claim status screen on uFiling to track progress. Status messages such as Sent to Assessor, Payment Reserved or Sent to Paymaster can show where the claim is in the process.

For help understanding status messages, read the UIF status check guide.


Estimate Your Benefit First

Before or after applying, you can use the UIF unemployment calculator to estimate benefit amount, credit days and possible payout duration.

Source: Department of Employment and Labour/uFiling guidance. This page is informational and is not an official UIF decision.