primary · Department of Employment and Labour
Replacement rate
38%–60% of reference earnings
From 2021-06-01
Lower earners get a higher percentage. Insurable earnings capped at R17,712/month.
I lost my job · UIF / Department of Employment and Labour
UIF — unemployment benefit
Contributory social insurance for employees who lose work. Paid from credits built up while contributing. Ceiling on insurable earnings: R17,712 a month.
38%–60% of reference earnings
Who it is for
Contributors who are unemployed and able and willing to work, registered as a work seeker.
Statutory social insurance funded by 1% + 1% contributions. Private income protection is a separate contract and often offsets UIF.
Conditions
- Contributions
- Must have UIF credits. Benefits accrue while contributing.
- Reason
- Unemployment (dismissal, end of contract, employer insolvency — not usually resignation without just cause).
- Registration
- Must be registered as a work seeker and report as required.
Primary source first. A disputed or stale figure stays visible. Hover a rand or dollar figure for four other currencies.
primary · Department of Employment and Labour
Insurable-earnings ceiling
R17,712 / month / month
From 2021-06-01
Unchanged through 2026. Some older pages still quote R14,872.
UIF calculator
Estimate from Core ZA record coreza_ss_methodology.uif_benefit.
Not a UIF determination — the Fund calculates the claim.
Cross-checks
- agrees ISSA country profile — South Africa ISSA: 38–60% of reference earnings, ceiling R17,712.
- note Unemployment Insurance Fund Some calculators disagree on credit-day accrual (1-in-4 vs 1-in-6) and on a 238-day vs 365-day cap. Use the Department’s current tables, not a blog calculator.
How to apply
uFiling / labour centres. Within 12 months of ending work. UI-19 and identity documents.
Methodology
coreza_ss_methodology.uif_benefit
Estimate only. Uses the Department of Employment and Labour sliding Income Replacement Rate on earnings capped at the UIF ceiling. Credit days follow UI Act s13(3) as amended (one day of benefit for every four days worked, maximum 365 in four years). Change this row in Core SA and the Compass follows.
- Average monthly remuneration over the last six months (UI Act s13(2)).
- Cap that average at the UIF earnings ceiling.
- Daily income = capped monthly × 12 ÷ 365 (UI Act s13(1)(a)).
- IRR% = 29.2 + (7173.92 ÷ (232.92 + daily income)), floored at 38% and capped at 60%. This is the Easy Aid / current DEL working of Schedule 2, calibrated so the ceiling pays 38%.
- Daily benefit (first 238 credit days) = daily income × IRR.
- Credit days = completed days of contribution ÷ 4, maximum 365 (s13(3) as amended 2018).
- Unemployment: days 1–238 at IRR; any remaining credits to 365 at a flat 20% (s13(5) remainder rule — confirm on the current form).
- Maternity: consecutive days capped at 121, all at IRR.
- Illness: same IRR; waiting period is disputed (ISSA 7 days vs some UIF notes 14 days). The calculator lets you pick; it does not decide the claim.
Where sources disagree
- noteOlder copies of Schedule 2 use IRR = 29.2 + (99779.68 / (3239.6 + monthly income)) with a R8,099 transition. That has been superseded in DEL Easy Aid working by the daily-income form above, which hits 38% at the current R17,712 ceiling.
- noteSome pages still say 1 credit per 6 days and a 238-day maximum. The 2018 amendment is 1 per 4 days, maximum 365.
- noteIllness waiting period: 7 days (ISSA) vs 14 days (some UIF FAQ pages).