UIF Calculator South Africa 2026 — Contributions and Benefit Payout

Reviewed & Verified

Written by the Independent Editorial Team · Reviewed & Verified by Solly Maanaso, CA(SA)

Calculate your monthly UIF contribution, or estimate your benefit payout if you're unemployed, on maternity leave, or unable to work due to illness.

Monthly gross salary (R)

Employee contribution (1%) R 0

Employer contribution (1%) R 0

Total to the Fund (2%) R 0

Average monthly salary over last 6 months (R)

Years of UIF contribution history

Claim type

Daily benefit amount R 0

Income Replacement Rate applied 0%

Estimated available credit days 0 days

Estimated total payout R 0

A note on the figures used here: Credit days accrue at 1 day for every 4 days worked as a contributor, up to a maximum of 365 days for those with 4+ years of contributions (the government's official bizportal.gov.za UIF FAQ). The 38%–60% sliding scale applies to the first 238 of those days; a flat 20% applies to any remaining days up to 365. Some other published sources describe a different accrual rate or a lower 238-day overall maximum — these appear to reflect either outdated rules or confusion with the separate illness-benefit framework. This calculator uses the figures most consistently confirmed across official Department of Employment and Labour sources.

Source: Department of Employment and Labour — bizportal.gov.za UIF FAQ; EASY AID Guide Spreadsheet Application

This calculator provides an estimate only. Your actual UIF benefit depends on your verified contribution history, employment record, and the Department of Employment and Labour's own assessment of your claim. This is not a substitute for an actual UIF application.

How UIF contributions are calculated

Employee UIF contribution = 1% × Monthly salary (capped at R17,712)
Employer UIF contribution = 1% × Monthly salary (capped at R17,712), matched
Total to the Fund = 2% combined

Source: SARS Budget 2026 FAQ; Department of Employment and Labour

The cap in practice:
Once your monthly salary exceeds R17,712, your UIF contribution stops increasing. The maximum any employee will ever have deducted is R177.12/month — whether they earn R17,712 or R500,000 per month.
Source: SARS — UIF ceiling earnings page

Who must contribute:
Both employers and employees must contribute, for any employee working 24 or more hours per month.
Source: Department of Employment and Labour

Use the calculator above ↑

How your UIF benefit payout is calculated

Your daily income:

Daily Income = (Average Monthly Salary × 12) ÷ 365

Your average monthly salary is based on your earnings over the 6 months before your claim, capped at R17,712.

Your Income Replacement Rate (IRR):

IRR (%) = 29.2 + (7173.92 ÷ (Daily Income + 232.92))

This produces a sliding scale between 38% (for higher earners, at or above the salary cap) and 60% (for lower earners) — the lower your income, the higher the percentage of it UIF replaces.
Source: Department of Employment and Labour — EASY AID Guide Spreadsheet Application

Your daily benefit:

Daily Benefit = Daily Income × IRR%

How many days you can claim:

Credit days accrue at 1 day for every 4 days you worked as a contributor, up to a maximum of 365 days for those with 4 or more years of contribution history. You need at least 13 weeks of contributions in the past 4 years to qualify for any benefit at all.

The rate at which those days are paid changes partway through a claim:

Days 1–238: the 38%–60% sliding scale described above
Days 239–365: a flat 20% rate

Source: Department of Employment and Labour — bizportal.gov.za UIF FAQ

Worked example:

An employee with an average monthly salary of R10,000 and 4+ years of UIF contributions:

Daily Income = (R10,000 × 12) ÷ 365 = R328.77
IRR = 29.2 + (7173.92 ÷ (328.77 + 232.92)) ≈ 41%
Daily Benefit ≈ R328.77 × 41% ≈ R134.80
Over the first 238 days at this rate: ≈ R32,082

Source: Department of Employment and Labour formula; illustrative calculation

Special rules for maternity and illness claims:

Maternity: capped at 121 consecutive days, regardless of available credit days (reduced to 6 weeks for third-trimester miscarriage or stillbirth)
Illness: payable only for illness lasting longer than 14 days

Source: Department of Employment and Labour — UIF Maternity Benefits page; bizportal.gov.za UIF FAQ

Why UIF figures vary between sources

If you've researched UIF benefits elsewhere, you may have seen different figures for how credit days accrue and how long a claim can last. We want to be transparent about this rather than simply picking one number silently.

The figures we use

The Department of Employment and Labour's own official FAQ (published via the government's bizportal.gov.za platform) states that credit days accrue at 1 day for every 4 days worked, up to a maximum of 365 days for contributors with 4 or more years of service — with the 38%–60% sliding scale applying to the first 238 of those days, and a flat 20% rate for any remaining days up to 365.

Conflicting figures

Some other sources state credit accrues at "1 day for every 6 days worked," with a maximum claim of 238 days overall (rather than 238 days at the higher rate within a 365-day total). This appears in some cases to conflate the unemployment-benefit credit system with the separate illness-benefit rules, or to reflect outdated guidance that has since been superseded.

Our approach

We have used the figures most consistently confirmed by official Department of Employment and Labour materials. If you are relying on this for an actual claim, we recommend confirming your specific credit days directly with the Department of Employment and Labour or via your uFiling profile, since these depend on your individual, verified contribution history.

UIF — complete guide → How to claim UIF →

Frequently Asked Questions

UIF is deducted at 1% of your monthly salary, matched by a 1% employer contribution, for a total of 2%. Both contributions are capped at a monthly salary ceiling of R17,712, making the maximum employee deduction R177.12 per month.

Your daily income is calculated using your average salary over the 6 months before your claim, capped at R17,712. An Income Replacement Rate (IRR) between 38% and 60% is applied to your daily income. Your daily benefit equals your daily income multiplied by the IRR.

Credit days accrue at 1 day for every 4 days worked, up to a maximum of 365 days. The 38%–60% sliding scale applies to the first 238 days; any remaining days up to 365 are paid at a flat 20% rate. You need at least 13 weeks of contributions in the past 4 years to qualify.

Some sources describe a "1 day for every 6 days worked" accrual rate with a 238-day overall maximum. We use the figures confirmed by official Department of Employment and Labour materials: 1 day per 4 days worked, 365-day maximum.

Yes. Both UIF contributions and benefit calculations use a salary figure capped at R17,712 per month. Earning significantly more than the cap does not increase either figure.

No. UIF benefits are not subject to income tax.

Related guides and tools

Sources:

Department of Employment and Labour — Basic Guide to the Unemployment Insurance Fund — labour.gov.za
Department of Employment and Labour — Fact Sheet on the Calculation of Normal UIF Benefit Payments — labour.gov.za
Department of Employment and Labour — EASY AID Guide Spreadsheet Application — labour.gov.za
Department of Employment and Labour — UIF FAQ — bizportal.gov.za
SARS — Unemployment Insurance Fund ceiling earnings — sars.gov.za
SARS Budget 2026 FAQ — sars.gov.za
Unemployment Insurance Act 63 of 2001; Unemployment Insurance Contributions Act 4 of 2002

Last reviewed: June 2026. Next review: when the Department of Employment and Labour or SARS updates the salary ceiling, contribution rate, or benefit formula.