The Unemployment Insurance Fund’s (UIF) will start processing claims for the new Parental Benefits from 1 November 2019, to contributing and qualifying UIF beneficiaries.
This follows President Cyril Ramaphosa’s signing a Proclamation to give the highly anticipated Parental Benefit in terms of the Unemployment Insurance Act an effective date from 1 November 2019.
Last year, the President signed the Labour Laws Amendment Bill into Act, which effected amendments to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and the Unemployment Insurance Act of 2001. Through these amendments, UIF contributors will be eligible to claim for the new parental benefit from the Fund.
Unemployment Insurance Fund Parental Benefits
From 1 November 2019, qualifying UIF contributors can visit any Labour Centre in the country with the prescribed application form (available on www.labour.gov.za) and the following support documents to submit for a Parental Benefit claim:
• Identity Document of the applicant;
• Birth Certificate of the child with full details of parents; and
• Details of a valid bank account.
Benefit payment for the Parental Benefits is for a maximum of 10 days and calculated on a flat rate of 66% of the contributable remuneration.
UIF Commissioner, Teboho Maruping, says the Fund is ready and excited to receive claims for the Parental Benefits and provide the necessary financial relief to UIF contributors while they spend time bonding and caring for their new child(ren).
“It is all systems go. We have finalised the new forms to process claims and payments. Our systems have been upgraded to enable us to process the Parental Benefit,” he said.
The extension of coverage for Parental Benefit is aligned to UIF’s mandate of providing social security to vulnerable workers, and to our mission of delivering both financial and social relief to the right person, at the right time, every time.