Question NW255 to the Minister of Employment and Labour
25 February 2022 - NW255
Mkhonto, Ms C N to ask the Minister of Employment and Labour
Whether it is his department’s policy that persons who have not claimed their Unemployment Insurance Fund benefits after three months of being unemployed must forfeit the benefits; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
In terms of the Unemployment Insurance Act (UIA) as amended (1 November 2019), specially on section1 prescript 12 months’ period for which a beneficiary can claim and the Fund to accept claims within the prescribed period of 12 months.
Should the client not apply within the prescribed period, the claim is rejected by the Fund. However, the client can appeal against that decision if the client has satisfactory reasons why their claim should still be positively considered. The appeal process is extensively covered in the UI Act.