UIF announces extended operating hours - now open on Saturdays during September only

The Department of Employment and Labour announced extended operating hours for selected Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) service points.

Selected Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) service points will be open on Saturdays to render services to clients and employers during the month of September.

The decision to ramp up capacity was taken in 'anticipation of increased demand for real-time services, after the Pretoria High Court at the end of August 2024 issued an interim interdict preventing a service provider from implementing a new contract for support and maintenance services to the uFiling platform,' said the department in a statement. 

uFiling is an online platform used by clients and employers to apply for UIF benefits or to register companies with the UIF, declare employees and pay over contributions to the Fund. The platform is not connected to the main UIF system used to adjudicate and process claims.

Due to the uFiling platform not having any support or maintenance at this time, its services was suspended.

The UIF has since the suspension of uFiling, processed more than 181 000 claims at service points around the country, totalling a pay out of R419 607 185.

Extended operating hours will be rendered from 07:30 until 16:00 at UIF service points within labour centres during September only as follows:

• Eastern Cape Province – Gqeberha, East London and Qonce.
• KwaZulu-Natal - Pietermaritzburg and Richards Bay labour centre.
• Mpumalanga Province – Emalahleni, Secunda, Middleburg, Malelane and Mbombela
  labour centre.
• North West Province – Mahikeng, Potchefstroom, Lichtenburg, Klerksdorp, Vryburg,
• Christiana, Brits, Taung and Rustenburg labour centre.
• Western Cape - Cape Town, Paarl, Mitchells Plain and Bellville.