Maternity leave is somehow compulsory for women employees who are pregnant. Once pregnant, the employment act allows you to take maternity leave from your employer.
One critical aspect for women going on maternity was how they could fend for themselves. The concern was raised among women on maternity leave not earning enough and, as such, may need financial support.
This concern created a clear collaboration between the department of labour and the unemployment insurance fund to implement some financial support for women going on maternity aside from the expected salary from the employer.
The UIF maternity benefits have come to save lives in the long run. They have supported employers who see the need to pay their employees on maternity leave in full.
How much UIF maternity can I claim
The question of claims for maternity leave can be very confusing at times. A lot of women who find themselves in this position may wish to know how much they could benefit from UIF.
It is an advantage for certain women who go on maternity leave with half a salary and yet can claim UIF. The unemployment insurance fund indicated that women who enjoy a full salary could not claim UIF.
The whole idea of UIF maternity is to provide support for the people who need it most. Therefore if you are enjoying full salary payment from your employer, UIF does not give you a chance to claim the maternal benefits.
The unemployment insurance fund is meant to provide short-term relief for individuals who are not earning any income for a particular period of time and includes maternity leave.
In all these claims from UIF and your employer, the amount you enjoy from UIF can not be 100% of your salary if you are enjoying 50% salary from your employer.
Women on maternity leave can claim up to 66% from UIF, depending on their salary and contribution made.
However, the average UIF payment ranges from 38% to 60% of your monthly salary.
For instance, if your salary is R12000 or more, you will receive R155.89 per day, which is about R4677. You are not entitled to receive more than this maximum amount.
How long does it take for maternity UIF to be approved
The duration for UIF maternity approval factors a lot of things into consideration. UIF may have over 100,000 women preparing for maternity in a particular month. In such cases, pressure will be mounted on all the organisations that regulate the UIF maternity claims.
There is no discriminative act towards women regarding their UIF maternity approval. These things are systems and must follow the necessary regulations at all times. Each step is critical for the approval of UIF maternity leave, and as such, all documents that may be provided must support the approval of your UIF maternity claim.
The Unemployment insurance fund averages the UIF maternity approval to be between 3 to 8 weeks. Each week has it on stage where the documents submitted are passed to.
How many payments do you get from UIF maternity
The payments for UIF maternity are made in such a way that the needed support comes when you are on your maternal leave. Irrespective of the amount or number of times you contributed to UIF, the payments for UIF maternity cuts across all employees going on maternal leave.
The approved maternity leave is about 4 months; with this, UIF will pay you for the period you are away. Once your approved maternity is 16 weeks by your employer, UIF will pay you every month until your approved days are over.
What is the maximum UIF claim?
One thing that is worrying is how the maximum UIF payment is claimed. What employees must understand is that the UIF is not a grant giver or an employer. The little number of contributions that UIF receives from employers on behalf of employees are kept until the right moment happens.
Irrespective of the number of years you contributed to UIF, the maximum amount to claim from UIF remains unchanged. These policies are backed by law, and their ultimate goal is to provide short-term relief for individuals who contributed while working.
The maximum UIF claim has been set by the department of labour and this amount is not more than R17,712 per month. No matter the amount you contributed in the past, once you put in your claim to enjoy UIF benefits, you are entitled to a monthly amount of R17712.
How do I calculate my maternity UIF payout?
Calculating the maternity payout can be very hectic. Once you have contributed to UIF, you may be looking at enjoying all your contributions, but it doesn’t work that way.
The maternity UIF payout is calculated differently. However, your contribution over the past years does not influence what you might earn as the UIF payout.
Now let us give you an ideal calculation of the maternity UIF payout.
An example of an individual earning R10,000
Daily earnings are calculated as:
R10000 X 12/365 = R 328.8
Leave income
R8000 X 12/365 = R263
Now the difference in the daily earnings and leave income is paid to you as the contributor.
Which is R328.8 – R263 = R65.8
Once the difference is more than the actual daily benefit, the difference is paid to the contributor.
