Working Moms - Why I think there needs to be improvements claiming UIF

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It is so sad that people have had to give up on the system regarding UIF claims. The Department of Labour has let down many people who needed money during desperate times.

If you have never been in this situation nor will ever have this experience, imagine this:

People must be prepared to wait a year or more for their payment to fill in the same forms and submit them more than once, to wait up to 50 minutes before the call centre answers, and you can ask again how your claim is progressing.

This is the same frustration for several discouraged people after losing their jobs, retiring, or submitting maternity leave claims.

In an article by GroundUP investigating the service at the Department of Labour in Bellville, Cape Town, it was found that many people queued the whole day only to be told they would not be served.

It's a fact that most women already working will work during their pregnancy. This is even more likely for women with a bachelor's degree or higher education level.

How would this impact workers and new mothers waiting on the assistance?

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The process of submitting claims is "straightforward".

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However, obstacles will always prevent your claims from being approved and paid out.

The back and forth is very demotivating; some people give up on their claims. As to what happens to the money not claimed, we don't know.

I recently returned from maternity leave; I was lucky to get my claims approved and all the funds paid because I knew the right people.

The process was so easy it made me question a lot of things. Why does it seem impossible for DOL to do the same thing for everyone?

Queuing in long lines daily, querying the same thing, is no joke. The DOL needs to step up for the people and develop ways to improve their system. People work hard and work their butts off to try and invest that money for the future; the money was deducted from their salaries, so it is due to them.

It's so they can continue living.

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