UIF to start paying out paternity leave benefits from Friday

The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) will start processing claims for the new paternity benefits from Friday, 1 November 2019.

Payment, which will be received by contributing and qualifying UIF beneficiaries, is for a maximum of 10 days and calculated on a flat rate of 66% of the contributable remuneration.

Contributing and qualifying UIF beneficiaries are eligible to claim the parental benefit, in line with changes to the relevant laws given effect by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

UIF Commissioner Teboho Maruping said in a statement on Thursday: “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.”

According to a media statement from the UIF, Ramaphosa last year 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 benefit from the Fund.

The fund said from 1 November 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
• 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 said the fund is ready 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.

UIF spokesperson Makhosonke Buthelezi told SowetanLIVE that male employees should first apply for leave from their employers to be eligible for the parental leave benefit.

"You should have applied for leave from your employer and must declare that you are on leave," he said, adding that employees whose employers will not be paying them 100% of their salary during the paternity leave would benefit.

Source: Sowetan Live