UIF Claims: South Africans Warned Over ‘Dead’ Online System Still Accepting Applications

The issue came under renewed scrutiny after a recent GroundUp report revealed that the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s old uFiling platform remains accessible online years after the system migrated to a new one. According to the report, claimants are still able to upload documents, complete applications and receive reference numbers on the old system, creating the impression that their claims have been successfully submitted. However, many later discover that their applications were never processed. One claimant, interviewed by GroundUp, said she spent months waiting for payment after losing her job, only to be told by a UIF official that she had submitted her claim through the “wrong” platform and would need to restart the process from scratch. The woman reportedly lost her income after her employment contract was terminated early. She told the publication that she had relied on savings and support from her partner while trying to resolve the issue. This has raised broader concerns about the reliability of the UIF’s digital systems, which have faced repeated criticism in recent years.

What Does This Mean For Maternity Health Benefits?

Maternity claims are processed through the same broader UIF online infrastructure used for unemployment, illness and parental claims. If someone submits documents through the outdated or non-processing portal, there is a risk that:

• their maternity application may not be captured correctly
• supporting documents may not reach assessors
• payments could be delayed while the claim is resubmitted on the newer system

The South African government confirms that maternity benefits are claimed through UIF systems and online platforms.

COSATU Weighs In

COSATU previously warned about ongoing glitches and failures affecting the UIF’s online infrastructure. In earlier comments, the labour federation’s parliamentary coordinator, Matthew Parks, said workers regularly struggle to access benefits due to problems with the fund’s IT systems. He also said that employers often battle to register workers, while claimants face long queues at labour centres because online systems are unreliable. He argued that workers are entitled to efficient service because UIF contributions come directly from employees and employers rather than from government funding. The federation had already called on Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth to intervene after UIF online services experienced lengthy disruptions linked to legal disputes involving service providers in 2024. Although notices about the migration to a new uFiling system had previously been issued in both 2021 and 2025, the old platform reportedly remained live and accessible through online searches without prominent warnings that it was no longer valid for claim submissions.

The DA Says It Wants Answers From Minister

Meanwhile, the DA said it plans to push for accountability over the outdated portal remaining online despite allegedly being non-functional. DA employment and labour spokesperson Michael Bagraim said the party has written to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labour requesting that the UIF and the minister appear before Parliament to explain why the old portal was not shut down sooner. The party, which is part of the Government of National Unity (GNU),  said South Africans submitting claims through the outdated platform were effectively sending applications “into a void” while believing their submissions were legitimate. “This is unacceptable in a country where unemployed people rely on UIF payments to survive. The minister and the UIF must explain why a non-functional system was left accessible to the public for so long, and what steps will be taken to assist affected claimants.”

High Unemployment Rate

The controversy comes against the backdrop of South Africa’s persistently high unemployment rate, with millions relying on UIF benefits during periods of joblessness. The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey released by Statistics South Africa revealed that the country shed about 345 000 jobs during the first quarter of 2026, while the number of unemployed people increased by 301 000 to 8.1 million. The official unemployment rate climbed to 32.7%, highlighting the growing number of South Africans likely to depend on UIF support after losing work.

New UIF Claims Website

According to the UIF’s annual report, the fund paid out billions of rand in benefits during the 2024/25 financial year. Claimants are advised to use the current UIF Online Claims Portal at uifonline.labour.gov.za/uifOnline when submitting applications and supporting documents.