Calculate your UIF maternity benefits in South Africa.
Important Update: The Parental Leave Ruling
In a landmark change for South African families, the Constitutional Court has declared the old maternity leave laws unconstitutional.
What has changed?
- Shared Leave: Parents (regardless of gender or biological role) can now share the four consecutive months of parental leave previously reserved only for birthing mothers.
- Birthing Parent Rights: The birthing parent still has the right to at least six weeks of leave immediately after birth for health reasons, but the remaining leave can be split between parents as they choose.
- Equality: This ruling applies equally to biological parents, adoptive parents, and commissioning parents in surrogate arrangements.
How Maternity/Parental Pay Works
In South Africa, your employer is not legally required to pay your full salary while you are on leave. Unless your employment contract states otherwise, parental leave is usually unpaid or partially paid. To bridge this gap, you claim from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).
1. The UIF Sliding Scale
UIF doesn’t pay a flat amount. It uses a sliding scale based on your monthly income:
- Low Earners: May receive up to 66% of their daily income.
- High Earners: The benefit is capped. As of 2026, the maximum monthly salary used for calculation is R17,712. Even if you earn R50,000, your benefit is calculated as if you earn R17,712.
2. Credit Days
You earn 1 day of credit for every 4 days worked (as a contributor to UIF).
- To claim the full 121 days (4 months) of maternity/parental benefits, you typically need to have worked and contributed for at least four years.
How to Use This Calculator
To get an accurate estimate of your payout, enter the following:
- Average Monthly Salary: Your gross salary (before tax) for the last 6 months.
- Employer Contribution: Does your company pay you a percentage of your salary while on leave? (e.g., 33% or 50%).
- Leave Duration: How many days/months of leave you intend to take (up to a maximum of 121 days for the benefit claim).
- UIF Contribution History: How long you have been contributing to the fund.
Common FAQs
Can both parents claim UIF at the same time?
If parents are sharing the 4-month leave period, they can claim for their respective portions of the leave. However, the total benefit paid out for the “parental leave” period cannot exceed the credits available and the 121-day cap per child.
What is a “Top-Up”?
If your employer pays you a portion of your salary (e.g., 75%), you can claim the remaining 25% from UIF. However, the law states you cannot receive more than 100% of your normal salary when combining employer pay and UIF.
Does a miscarriage affect my claim?
Under the BCEA, a person who has a miscarriage in the third trimester or delivers a stillborn child is still entitled to six weeks of maternity leave and can claim UIF benefits for that period.
When should I apply?
You can apply as soon as your leave starts, or up to 12 months after the birth of the child.
Required Documents for your UIF Claim
To ensure your payout isn’t delayed, you will need:
- Form UI-2.8 (Banking details)
- Form UI-2.7 (Remuneration received from employer during leave)
- Form UI-19 (Information from your employer)
- Form UI-2.3 (Application for maternity/parental benefits)
- Medical Certificate or Birth Certificate