UIF

This is the tale of trying to get my maternity benefits...

A friend very helpfully told me about a small UIF satellite office in Goodwood. This is good news, because when my mom went to the Bellville office the queue was already around the block at 7am! On that visit she was told I hadn't completed one of the forms correctly - the one which lists how much your employer will be paying you (if anything) for your maternity leave.

Now, I should point out that in SA, the statutory benefits are nearly zero. You get 4 months unpaid leave. That's it. If your employer chooses to give you anything, then you're lucky. You may also only apply for benefits on the first day of your maternity leave, not before - even though it takes 8 weeks to process. Just a thought - I am getting something from my employer. What happens to those women who only get the statutory unpaid leave, who have no money coming in, and now have to wait for 8 weeks before they get their first benefit? How do they survive those first 2 months with NO money whatsoever?? Yes, that sounds very reasonable and helpful, doesn't it?

So - having re-completed the form, off I go to the Goodwood office. Only 9 people ahead of me. Yay, I think. It still takes me a good 40 minutes to get to the front of the queue. Once there, I'm told that the form is still not correct. It's not enough to say how much I'm getting each month. I actually have to write out the dates for each month that I'm going to be off, and next to it the amount I'm going to get in that month. Oh, and I have to resubmit the form that tells the Dept of Labour that I've been contributing to the UIF fund. Sigh. OK.

Back to school I go, with said forms in hand, to be re-completed. With this duly done, I returned this morning. 7 people ahead of me, but only takes me 30 minutes to get to the front.

UIF officer: The UI-19 form (the one I'm resubmitting) is still wrong.
Me: Why?
UIF Officer: The termination date hasn't been filled in.
Me: but my contract hasn't been terminated. I'm just going on maternity leave.
UIF officed: No, if you're on maternity leave then your contract has been terminated.
Me: but I'm still being paid a reduced salary. How can my contract be terminated?
UIF officer: It just is.
Me: So what are you actually looking for then, since my contract has NOT been terminated?
UIF officer: The last date on which you were at work.
Me: OH! You mean you want the last date of work, not the termination date!
UIF officer: That is your termination date.
Me: No, it's not, but OK. Let me fill it in for you.
UIF officer: No, it can only be done by the person who signed the form.
Me: Sure. I'll just sit here while I phone the person who signed the form and you two can sort it out between you.
UIF officer: No, you have to resubmit the form. You can have him fax it to us.

Umm... ok then. So, according to my employer and according to me, I'm still employed, but according to the Dept of Labour, I'm "terminated". Yes, that's eminently logical. It also explains why the government is in such turmoil, and why it takes 8 weeks to process my forms (ie, no benefits for 8 weeks). Quite simply, they don't understand English, can't think for themselves and have to stick to the letter of the law, rather than get the job done.

Later, after form has been "corrected" and faxed, and I am back at the front of the queue...

UIF officer: Your UI-19 form is still wrong.
Me: WHAT? Why?
UIF officer: It's an old form and is missing the codes on the bottom as well as the last two columns, one of which says that you have been contributing to UIF.
Me: You're kidding me!
UIF officer: No, but we can accept this one, even though it's still wrong.
Me: (speechless with frustration and rage)