HR - UIF (Unemployment Fund) - Part 5

ARTICLE 61

UIF (Unemployment Fund) – Part 5

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting CC August 2010

Last week we had a look at how to collect maternity as well as adoption benefits and in this, our final week on the subject of UIF, we will focus on the ‘how to’ of claiming death benefits.

Obviously if you are dead, you cannot collect the benefit – however the spouse and/or the ‘minor’ children of the deceased may be illegible to receive the benefits.

Here are some of the rules though:

The benefits have to be collected within six months of the death of the worker.

Here are the documents that need to be presented when you (as the husband or wife of the deceased) have to take to the Labour Centre.

- A Form UF126 needs to be completed. This can be collected from the Labour Centre or off the Labour Department site (but remember to check that it is the correct/current form).
- Your green, bar encoded identity document.
- Copies of the deceased’s last six pay slips
- A signed and completed form UI19 from the employer of the deceased.
- A certified copy of the deceased’s death certificate
- A certified copy of your marriage certificate
- A certificate of Service from the employee
- Proof of your (the claimant’s) banking details.

- If you are a minor child of the deceased, the claim must then be done by completing a form UF127. This must be done by the child’s legal guardian. Again this can be collected from the Labour Centre or off the Labour Department site (but remember to check that it is the correct/current form).

Here are the documents that need to be presented when the legal guardian of the child (as the minor child of the deceased), have to take to the Labour Centre.

- Your green, bar encoded identity document.
- Copies of the deceased’s last six pay slips
- A signed and completed form UI19 from the employer of the deceased.
- A certified copy of the deceased’s death certificate
- A certified copy of your marriage certificate
- A certificate of service from the employee
- Proof of your (the claimant’s) banking details.
- Proof of guardianship of the child’s representative
- Proof that the minor child is a learner who was dependant upon the deceased.

Once the above has been received by the Labour Centre, you will be issued with a Form UF 128, which needs to be completed and signed by the last employer of the deceased and then submitted to the Labour Centre.

This is a once off payment and it is the amount that the deceased would have been able to claim had they been unemployed.

Again this will be paid by means of a cheque or an electronic transfer where possible.

Next week we will tackle a new topic.


Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za