In March 2017, the Minister of Labour, Mildred Oliphant, amended the scale of Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) benefits. These changes took effect on 1 April 2017. Read on to find out how these will affect you.
Claims from the UIF can be made for longer
Prior to these amendments, you were only able to claim from the UIF for 238 days’ work. Now, after the minister’s proclamation, it is possible to claim from the UIF for 365 days’ work. These benefits may be claimed over 12 months instead of the previous six months.
Pay-outs from the UIF have also increased:
- From R178 464 to R212 539 per annum,
- To R17 712 for the monthly amount, and
- To R4 087 for the weekly amount.
Expectant mothers score
Under the previous regime, expectant mothers could only claim benefits from the UIF once their child had been born. However, now moms-to-be can claim benefits up to eight weeks before their expected due date. Whereas previously, expectant mothers could only claim 45% of their salary, they are now able to claim 66% of their salary as maternity benefits.
We know that sometimes keeping up with labour law and all its amendments – which are vital to your business’ continued health – is sometimes tricky because you’re so busy running your organisation. Therefore, our team of dedicated legal experts are here to help you.
Our legal specialities at Global Business Solutions include:
- CCMA and Labour Court matters
- Restraints of trade
- Employment contracts and terms
- Legal opinions
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- Dispute resolution
- Labour Court and High Court litigation
- Training on the primary labour statutes
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