UIF maternity benefits pay a flat 66% of your capped salary, tax-free, for up to 121 days, roughly four months. You apply once your maternity leave starts and you stop getting your full salary, not before. The legal deadline is six months after the birth, but apply as early as you can once your pay drops. You need at least 13 weeks of UIF contributions in the last four years to qualify, and unlike unemployment benefits, you can still claim maternity benefits even if you resigned while pregnant or during your leave.
A quick note on “parental leave”
In October 2025, the Constitutional Court ruled that South Africa’s old system, four months of leave for birth mothers and only 10 days for other parents, unfairly discriminated between parents. Leave is now meant to be shared between parents as they choose, up to four months and 10 days combined. Parliament has up to 36 months to rewrite the actual law.
Here’s the part that matters for your UIF claim right now: the Court left the UIF Act itself untouched, and Parliament hasn’t updated it yet. In practice, that means UIF is still paying out under the old categories, maternity, parental and adoption, at the old rates, while the bigger legal picture catches up. This guide covers how a maternity claim works today. If you’re a father or partner claiming an extended share of parental leave rather than the traditional 10 days, your claim sits in newer, less settled territory, and it’s worth confirming your specific situation directly with your Labour Centre or the UIF Call Centre before you apply.
Who qualifies
You need to have contributed to UIF for at least 13 weeks (roughly three months) in the last four years. If you’ve been in a formal job for at least three months with UIF deducted from your salary, you almost certainly qualify.
You also need to be receiving less than your normal salary while on leave. If your employer pays you in full throughout your maternity leave, you have nothing to claim, since UIF only tops up the gap. If they pay you partially, or not at all, you can claim for the shortfall.
Employed women, directors or members of close corporations who draw a salary and contribute to UIF, and non-residents with a valid work permit who’ve been contributing, can all qualify. Sole proprietors, foreign workers without a valid permit, and anyone not actually contributing to UIF do not.
How much you’ll get
Maternity benefits use a flat rate of 66% of your salary, capped at R17 712 a month, regardless of how much you actually earn. This is different from unemployment and illness benefits, which use a sliding scale. Maternity is a flat percentage for everyone, and UIF benefits are not taxed.
For example, someone earning R10 000 a month would receive roughly R6 600 a month while claiming. Someone earning R20 000 a month is still calculated on the R17 712 ceiling, giving roughly R11 690 a month.
How long it lasts
You can claim for up to 121 days, about four months, which lines up with the standard length of maternity leave. If you miscarry or your baby is stillborn in your third trimester, you can claim for six weeks instead.
You’re only paid for the time you’re actually not receiving your full salary. If your employer pays you in full for the first two months and nothing after that, you can only claim for the remaining period, not the full four months regardless of what you’re owed.
If you claimed unemployment or illness benefits recently, check your available credit days before assuming you’ll get the full four months. All UIF benefit types draw from the same four-year contribution history.
When and how to apply
Apply once your leave has actually started and your full salary has stopped, applying earlier is typically rejected since there’s no shortfall yet to cover. The legal deadline is six months after the birth, so don’t leave it too long even if you’re busy with a newborn.
Apply through UIF Online at uifonline.labour.gov.za, following the same registration and login process as any other UIF claim, then select maternity as your benefit type. Our full guide to claiming UIF online covers the general registration steps in detail.
You’ll need your ID, proof of your pregnancy or your baby’s birth certificate once available, your banking details, and your employer’s confirmation of your salary and leave dates. [VERIFY: the exact current form numbers and codes UIF Online uses for a maternity application, since older guidance referencing forms like UI-2.3, UI-2.7 and UI-4 predates the platform migration and may not match the current online process exactly.]
If you resigned, or your contract ended
You can still claim maternity benefits even if you resigned while pregnant or during your leave, or if your contract came to an end. This is one of the few UIF benefits that doesn’t follow the usual “you can’t claim if you resigned” rule that applies to unemployment benefits. What matters is your contribution history, not why you’re no longer employed. See our guide on who qualifies for UIF after resigning for how this differs from unemployment claims specifically.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for UIF maternity benefits before I give birth?
You can apply once your leave starts and your salary drops, which can be before the birth if your leave begins early. You cannot apply while you’re still receiving your full salary.
Does UIF pay maternity benefits as a lump sum?
No. Like other UIF benefits, payments are made in instalments as you continue to claim, not as a single upfront amount for the full four months.
Can I claim UIF maternity benefits if I had a miscarriage?
Yes, if the miscarriage or stillbirth happened in your third trimester. You can claim for six weeks.
Will claiming maternity benefits affect my unemployment claim later?
Potentially. All UIF benefits share the same four-year contribution and credit history, so a maternity claim uses up some of the same credits that an unemployment or illness claim would draw from.
This is general information, not legal advice. Parental leave law is actively changing following the October 2025 Constitutional Court ruling, and how it interacts with UIF benefits may keep shifting as Parliament updates the legislation. Confirm your specific situation with your nearest Labour Centre, especially if you’re claiming outside the traditional birth-mother maternity category.
Last checked: July 2026.