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The Unemployment Insurance Fund is advertising on radio about their new U-filing. It is their online system allowing you to claim benefits, for example when you are retrenched or take maternity leave. The advert features a lady claiming she is doing her maternity leave online monthly and makes it sound extremely easy to claim. It is not the experience of some of my staff members who have told me that it has taken months to claim, and other staff members have advised that they had to call in other companies, who take a percentage of one’s money, to help with the process.
If any of you have any advice or tips on dealing with the UIF, please feel free to write in the comments section. I wonder if anyone has tried the U-filing as yet and look forward to hearing whether this is a more effective way of claiming. I would guess that part of the key to making sure, in particular with maternity benefits, that you get them in time per month, is to begin the registration process before you give birth and get all of your paperwork in order so that once your baby is born, you do not have to spend time trying to sort out and facilitate government documents at that time.
Posted by Michael de Broglio on Friday 11-Jul-14
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Comments
connie said:
on Tuesday 17-Oct-17 05:03 PM
i have a problem i get the letter that i owe uif money but is alot can i get them too make it money that i owe them maybe lower
Ernst mahlangu said:
on Thursday 06-Jul-17 03:31 PM
I applied for uif 2014 with brakoan labour department afta more dun a year m claim was rejected
Klaus Arnhard said:
on Friday 28-Oct-16 09:33 AM
We are an agency which submits claims on behalf of pregnant women and are approached by so many who did a ufiling claim, but eventually give up and come to us for help. Although it all sounds very easy and simple but the devil is in the detail. Most claims are rejected because of the employment history not being complete. If your current or any of your previous employers did not do the declarations properly you claim will fail.
We charge R550 for each submission and compared to the stress you save this is the best money you ever spend.
I went to the labour department and register for uif due to being retrenchment I sat there two days in a row when I finally got registered the lady who was helping me told me that the company I worked for didn't make any contrabutions since 2012 and that I should go to the company and ask them for the proof of payment for that period I did as she said and then got told by the company that they cannot give me that information due to the fact that it will compromise the privacy of other employees no I sit between a rock and a hard place not knowing how to proceed because department of labour wants that info
Sean said:
on Friday 09-Sep-16 05:52 AM
What a waste of time!!!!
I submitted my claim via Ufiling on 14/04/2016 and it was 'approved' on the
17/05/16. I completed the 'Continuation of payment' on the same day as the approval and to date......zip, nadda, nothing!!!!
Trying to get a hold of them telephonically is a complete joke and numerous Emails remain un-answered. Pathetic to say the least.
Lana said:
on Wednesday 02-Mar-16 10:06 AM
I applied for UIF with all the necessary documents in order on 1 September 2015 and to date haven't received a cent. I have tried calling their contact centre many, many times - 0800 843 843 (the number they are currently advertising as part of that ridiculously far-fetched radio advert) but it just rings and rings and rings and rings and rings and rings. I CANNOT stand in a queue of over 100 people every time I go to their offices to try to find out what is going on. I also saw all their posters about claiming online and how delighted they were to offer this to their "clients" now ... and yes I did try ... what a joke!!!! It is PATHETIC.
CJ said:
on Thursday 11-Feb-16 02:35 PM
I had my baby in early October. I tried submitting my UIF forms earlier, but they said that I could only submit my forms when the baby was born, or earliest 5 days before.
It is now February, I am back at work, and I have not received a cent!
My husband has been fighting with the Labour Department and even people at head office to try and get this sorted out. I originally submitted everything in person at the Labour Department. They were impressed that I had all my forms ready, and I thought that was that.
After 2 months of waiting (with really tight finances), I applied for UFiling (at the prompting of someone at head office), and submitted all the forms once again.
Every time my husband called or emailed them to ask about the money, they would say there is something missing.
We have emailed, faxed, called and gone into the Labour Department...and no one can help us.
We are going into the Labour Department again this weekend. Hopefully we can get this mess straightened out.
I am so worried that they will now deny me the funds because I am back at work...and in the meantime we now have a stack of things to pay for that have built up over the past 4 months!
I really hope that they still pay us what is owed to us.
sumaya said:
on Friday 10-Apr-15 08:33 AM
I would not advise anyone to apply for benefits via ufiling.It's a nightmare. I applied for unemployment benefits July 2014 and 9 months later,not a cent received.You don't get any response when you send emails,I visited the offices and they say sorry sort it out via ufiling.Waste of time
Liselle said:
on Wednesday 08-Apr-15 10:49 AM
I am having such a nightmare trying to get my maternity uif that was submitted through Filing in Jan, till now I have not received a cent of my own money. After numerous emails that are just simply ignored and phone calls to the call centre that are just as hopeless I had to go in to the department of labour with STILL no such luck. What has one got to do to get their own money from the government???? We are suppose to be supporting our families & newborn with this money! Its unacceptable! What can I do???
Kristell said:
on Monday 02-Mar-15 03:11 PM
Horrible horrible horrible!!
My son was born in May 2014. I have made use of an agency to submit on my behalf, then submitted the claim in person and on ufiling. It has been over 9 months and not one sent has been received. No queries can be resolved on ufiling or over the phone...e-mails are simply ignored. You have to go to the labour centre they say.... I have been there on 6 occasions already and have to take off work every time to try and sort it out.... can't we claim for damages they are causing?! I am completely at a loss for words and do not know what else I can do to get my benefits!!
Thabitha said:
on Tuesday 29-Jul-14 08:53 AM
Claiming UIF its a nightmare
Cleo said:
on Monday 28-Jul-14 10:54 AM
There is no tips or comments to people claiming UIF to make the process painless, I was retrenched 30.04.2014 and after a painstaking amount or call, incorrect advice, rude staff I only received payment in the middle of July. As it is my belief that people only learn once they experience something a Tip to the minister of labour would be to withhold salaries for almost three months including her own and see how that goes down with the poor service delivery she allows her department to deliver.
"Everything rises and falls on leadership" the UIF department's service delivery is a reflection of it's leader.
Refilwe said:
on Friday 11-Jul-14 03:15 PM
I don't have anything to say but, its the GOVERNMENT of course there will be poor service delivery!
Bianca R said:
on Friday 11-Jul-14 12:42 PM
Before my father secured a job, he applied for UIF and he had absolutely no issues. He went into the branch the one morning and he was out within a couple of minutes. Luckily he managed to secure employment before he could collect his first payment but he said that he was extremely impressed with their service.
Bianca R said:
on Friday 11-Jul-14 12:41 PM
Before my father secured a job, he applied for UIF and he had absolutely no issues. He went into the branch the only morning and he was out within a couple of minutes. Luckily he managed to secure employment before he could collect his first payment but he said that he was extremely expressed with their service.
Sheena said:
on Friday 11-Jul-14 12:26 PM
I personally have not dealt with UIF but from what I have heard it is a nightmare. Poor people that are dependent on that money.
Jade said:
on Friday 11-Jul-14 12:23 PM
I luckily haven't had to claim UIF as of yet, but it sounds awful. It really sounds like an added stress that pregnant women do not need.
Sorea said:
on Friday 11-Jul-14 09:27 AM
I hope I don't have to deal with UIF one day. I understand that the radio advert extols its virtues, but from what I have read here and from what my friends say it is almost not worth the effort. And Kaylee, if you listen to women speak about what goes on when you are pregnant, you might change your mind to "being pregnant" sounds like a nightmare. :)
Juliet said:
on Friday 11-Jul-14 09:21 AM
I have prepared the paperwork up until the point where I now have to go to my bank to get one document completed and to my dr to get the other one completed. I am not getting my hopes up. I am also not going to stand in any queues, so let's see. They must just pay!
salomie said:
on Friday 11-Jul-14 09:13 AM
I have not dealt with claiming UIF for myself, but it seems its a painful and frustrating process.
Kaylee said:
on Friday 11-Jul-14 08:37 AM
I mean claiming from the UIF sounds like a nightmare, not pregnancy lol
Kaylee said:
on Friday 11-Jul-14 08:35 AM
LOL @ pot stirrer
Sounds like some false advertising, I don't want to sound like a cynic but I am doubtful as to whether this system will be effective. Sounds similar to the advertising for the RAF (previous blog article).
Would like to hear what people's experiences are with the system, I am hopefully not going to get pregnant or become unemployed sometime soon, sounds like a nightmare.
Yolandi P said:
on Friday 11-Jul-14 08:33 AM
I luckily have not had the pleasure to deal with them yet but by the sounds of what some of the ladies are going through I am not looking forward to it. Lets hope it gets better soon...
Brumilde said:
on Friday 11-Jul-14 08:28 AM
I am working through a company to collect for me, and the lady informed me that they have applications still outstanding from last year where people still have not received their money. I myself phones the UIF office and shouted at the lazy idiots there, and by the tone they don't give a damn. They just want me to come in and waste my time. Needless to say I hope other people don't have this problem, it's extremely frustrating not having a salary for 3 months and then still having to wait for just a small potion to be paid out. I just wish there is something that can be done to help people
Elektra said:
on Friday 11-Jul-14 08:27 AM
I have not yet dealt with the UIF, So I have no comment!
Lizanne said:
on Friday 11-Jul-14 08:24 AM
To be honest, i used Moms UIF and you pay them R600 to do everything on your behalf. Everything was in order before i gave birth last year May and I just handed in the last document when my son was born. Within 2 weeks i received my 1st payment and at the end of the month i received my 2nd payment and just before i went back to work I received my last payment. I really hope i am not going to have the same problems that Brumilde is having now.
Alexis said:
on Friday 11-Jul-14 08:15 AM
I did not have any problems at all when dealing with the UIF. I went in before Nate was born and they advised me that i needed to come back when he was born, but luckily I went as they let me know what i was missing - so at least got that sorted - and all I had to do was go in once a month and I would get my payment in a day or two. I am unsure of this U Filing system, however it is obviously in the first stages where they will need to sort out ll the bugs etc, unfortunately some people will be fine with it an others will have problems - it always works that way
Pot stirrer said:
on Friday 11-Jul-14 08:12 AM
Any bets on who will give the UIF a harder time - Juliet or Brumilde?
Helen said:
on Friday 11-Jul-14 08:08 AM
My experience dealing with UIF was terrible, it is amazing the time when you need government to pay you your benefits it is becoming an difficult issue!
All my documents were ready long time before Katy's birth and even before maternity leave I managed to open my file with UIF and after 3 times being in the office get reference number. It took UIF to pay me 4 months, I was back to work already and still did net get promised paid. Everything takes time with government maybe it is not a bad idea when lady in the early stage of pregnancy lets say 4 months already follow up with UIF and not to leave till the last minute. My opinion it is waist of money to involve 3d party to claim for you. It will take the same time and probably result. Very disappointed in UIF
Brumilde said:
on Friday 11-Jul-14 08:03 AM
I am currently still waiting for my UIF been 4 months now... I doubt this will be better. They are terrible and apparently have a new procedure in order that's why it's taking so long...
Johannesburg based attorney specializing in personal injury matters including Road Accident Fund claims and medical negligence matters. My interests include golf, reading and the internet and the way it is constantly developing. I have a passion for life and a desire for less stress!
