This UIF Benefit Payout calculator will help you estimate how you could potentially receive every month from your contributions.
UIF Benefit Calculation Results
How to use this calculator
This calculator estimates your UIF benefits based on your salary history and accumulated credit days. The results are an approximation based on current UIF formulas.
Step 1: Enter Your Salary Information
Enter your average monthly salary from the last 6 months before becoming unemployed or going on leave. This should be your gross salary before deductions.
Step 2: Select Your Benefit Type
Choose the type of benefit you’re claiming:
- Unemployment: If you’ve lost your job, been retrenched, or your contract ended
- Illness: If you’re unable to work due to illness for more than 7 days
- Maternity: For pregnancy-related leave
- Adoption: When legally adopting a child under 2 years old
Step 3: Set Your UIF Credit Days
Move the slider to indicate how many UIF credit days you’ve accumulated:
- 1 credit day is earned for every 4 days worked (with UIF contributions)
- Maximum is 238 days (approximately 8 months of benefits)
- If you’ve worked continuously for 4 years while contributing to UIF, you’ll have the maximum
Step 4: For Maternity Benefits Only
If you selected maternity benefits, you can adjust the maternity leave duration in days:
- Standard maternity leave: 121 days
- Complications: Up to 144 days
- Multiple births: Up to 238 days (subject to available credit days)
Step 5: View Your Results
The calculator will automatically display:
- Your income replacement rate (percentage of salary)
- Daily benefit amount
- Monthly benefit amount (based on 30 days)
- Maximum benefit duration in days
- Total maximum potential payout
Understanding the UIF Credit Days System
The UIF credit days system is fundamental to how benefits are calculated:
Working Period → UIF Credit Days → Benefit Days
- 1 year of work = ~60 credit days = ~2 months of benefits
- 2 years of work = ~120 credit days = ~4 months of benefits
- 3 years of work = ~180 credit days = ~6 months of benefits
- 4+ years of work = 238 credit days = ~8 months of benefits
Example: If you worked for 2 years (730 days) while contributing to UIF: 730 days ÷ 4 = 182.5 credit days
Reading Your Results
Income Replacement Rate
This is the percentage of your salary that will be paid as benefits:
- Lower incomes receive up to 60% of their salary
- Higher incomes receive as low as 38% of their salary
- The exact percentage is calculated using the UIF formula
Daily Benefit Amount
This is how much you’ll receive for each day of benefits claimed:
- Calculated as: (Monthly salary ÷ 30) × Income replacement rate
Monthly Benefit Amount
This is the approximate amount you’ll receive each month:
- Calculated as: Daily benefit × 30
Maximum Benefit Duration
This is how long you can claim benefits:
- Limited by your accumulated credit days
- For maternity, also limited by the standard or extended maternity leave periods
Total Maximum Benefit Payout
This is the total amount you could receive over the entire benefit period:
- Calculated as: Daily benefit × Maximum benefit duration
How UIF Benefits Work:
- You can claim 1 day of benefits for every 4 days worked (contributing to UIF) in the last 4 years, up to 238 days maximum.
- The benefit amount is calculated as a percentage of your average salary, using a sliding scale from 38% (high income) to 60% (low income).
- Maternity benefits can be claimed for up to 121 consecutive days, extended to 144 days for complications, and 238 days for multiple births.
- Illness benefits can be claimed for periods of illness lasting more than 7 days.
- To qualify for benefits, you must have been contributing to UIF for at least 13 weeks before applying.
Important Notes
- This is an estimate only. Your actual benefit amount may differ based on the Department of Labour’s calculations.
- Application is still required. This calculator doesn’t submit a claim; you must still apply through a Labour Centre or online.
- Verification will be done. The UIF will verify your employment history and contributions before approving your claim.
- Regular claiming is necessary. For unemployment benefits, you must report to your Labour Centre every four weeks to confirm you’re still unemployed.
- Tax-free benefits. UIF benefits are not subject to income tax.
