You can check a UIF claim online, by USSD, by phone or at a labour centre. All four are free. This guide shows what each one needs and what to do with the answer.
Claims and claim tracking moved from uFiling to UIF Online. If you applied on uFiling before the change and cannot find your claim, contact the UIF through one of the channels below.
This is an independent guide. It cannot look up your status. Only the UIF can.
On this page
- What you can check
- Four official ways to check
- Check your payslip too
- What to do with the result
- If your employer never paid UIF over
- Frequently asked questions
1. What you can check
- Claim status. Whether your application was received and what stage it is at.
- Payment status. Whether a payment was made.
- Registration. Whether your employer registered you with the UIF.
There is no savings-style “UIF balance”. What you build up while working is credit days: one day of benefits for every four days worked, up to 365.
2. Four official ways to check
UIF Online
Type uifonline.labour.gov.za into your browser, log in and open your claim. Forgot your password? Reset it on the same site with your ID number.
USSD: *134*843#
Dial *134*843# on any cellphone. It is free and needs no data. The menu covers claim and payment status, employee registration, continuation of payment and general enquiries.
Call centre: 0800 030 007
Call the UIF toll-free line. Keep your ID number and claim reference next to you.
Labour centre
Go in person with your ID and your claim reference. The centre that handled your claim is the best one to visit.
You will leave this website for an official government site. Free to use.
3. Check your payslip too
Your payslip shows whether UIF was deducted. The deduction is 1% of your pay, counted up to R17,712 a month, so it is never more than R177.12. Your employer pays the same amount on top.
No UIF line, or an amount that looks wrong? Ask your employer first and keep your payslips.
You stay on this website.
4. What to do with the result
- Write it down. Note the exact status wording and the date you checked.
- Compare it with your papers. Check your reference number, ID number and bank details against your documents.
- Give it time, then follow up. If nothing changes, call 0800 030 007 with your reference ready.
- Refused? Ask for the reason. You can appeal with form UI-12 at the labour centre that handled your claim.
- Receiving payments? Confirm every month that you are still unemployed, or payments can be interrupted.
5. If your employer never paid UIF over
A deduction on your payslip does not prove the money reached the UIF. If your record shows nothing for a job where UIF was deducted:
- Keep every payslip from that job.
- Check your registration on *134*843#.
- Report it at a labour centre and ask what they need from you.
Not claimed yet? See the UIF claim steps and documents.
6. Frequently asked questions
Is there unclaimed UIF money waiting for me?
Not automatically. UIF pays a benefit when something happens, such as losing your job, and only if you have credit days and apply in time. For unemployment, that is within 12 months.
Is the USSD code really free?
Yes. The UIF launched *134*843# as a free service that works on any cellphone.
Can someone check my status for a fee?
You do not need that. Every official channel is free, and sharing your login puts your claim and bank details at risk.
I applied on uFiling. Where is my claim?
Worker claims are now handled on UIF Online. If you cannot see yours there, call 0800 030 007 or visit a labour centre.
Does this website know my status?
No. This is an independent guide with no access to UIF records.
This website is an independent information site. It is not the UIF or the Department of Employment and Labour, and it is not affiliated with any government body. Only the UIF decides who qualifies and how much is paid. We never ask for payment.
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