Exact Answer: 12 Months
Unemployment is a serious issue in people’s day-to-day life. The whole standard of living of a person collapses when there is unemployment. There are different types of unemployment. People can fall sick, take maternity leave and adoption leave. Due to their taking leaves, they become unemployed for that specific time period.
So to cope up with the situation, people rely on Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF). The UIF provides short-term financial aid to those who are unemployed or unable to work due to maternity and adoption leave or suffering from an illness. Dependents of a deceased employee can also get this benefit.
How Long Does It Take To Claim Unemployment Insurance Funds?
| UIF Type | Time Taken |
| Maternity, Adoption Leave, Illness | 12 Months |
| Death Benefits | 18 Months |
In the case of maternity, adoption leave, or illness, people can submit their claims within a period of 6 months to 12 months. In case of a death of an employee, his/her dependents can file a claim within 18 months. After submitting their claims, the time period in which people can start receiving their UIF grants after eight weeks of registering. The money will be transferred to the respective bank accounts after every four weeks until the money has been exhausted.
Other benefits that can be claimed from the UIF are:
- Illness benefits – not being able to go to work for more than two weeks can unlock the uif benefits. By applying the claims, one can be paid since the first day of the leave.
- Maternity benefits- the benefits entitled to maternity leave, can be claimed after 17 weeks of pregnancy. Miscarriage cases can lead to a claim for 6 weeks after the tragic incident.
- Adoption benefits- in the case of adoption leave, only one parent can receive the adoption benefits. The child has to be younger than two years and if the parent is receiving less money while on adoption leave, he/she can claim the benefits.
- Death benefits- if a deceased person has contributed to the UIF fund, his/her spouse or child, who is below 18 years old can claim for the benefit.
Why Does It Take So Long To Claim Unemployment Insurance Fund?
Applying for a UIF is a hectic process and takes a long to fully process the claim. Certain formalities that are needed to be taken care of before applying. In general, it takes almost a year to complete the full process. A person should start the process by going to the department of labor office and sign the unemployment register. He/she should come back again after four weeks to sign, to show that, that person still needs unemployment benefits. In case a person could not come after four weeks due to illness, he/she should bring the doctor’s note on the next signing day.
Filing for a UIF claim is time-consuming, to begin with. To prevent any further time loss, a person who is applying should keep the following things ready
- In case of maternity benefits: Proof of banking details, birth certificate of the baby, passport, a statement of the amount received from the employer during maternity leave.
- In case of adoption benefits: copy of adopted child birth certificate, a service certificate issued by the employer, proof of banking details, passport, the adoption order of the child.
- In case of death benefits: certified copy of death certificate, proof of banking details, copies of deceased’s last six payslips.
It should also be kept in mind that the dependent of the deceased should also provide a few documents. It includes proof of guardianship, proof of identity, proof that he/She was a learner dependent on the deceased.
Conclusion
The documents should be all properly organized and one should have the utmost patient. The process should be all legal and if facing any problem, it should be clarified by the department of labor. Registering at the UIF and claiming the benefits is a difficult process. To ensure that nobody has any kind of hardship, it is suggested that the person should have a caring legal expert who can give legal advice and guide.