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Credit days decide how long you can claim UIF. Learn how the 1-for-4 rule works, the 365-day maximum, and how to make the most of your credits.
Last updated: 2025-01-15
Credit days are the heartbeat of the UIF system. They determine how many days of benefit you can draw, and they are earned steadily as you work and contribute. Understanding them helps you know how long your payments can last.
This article explains the 1-for-4 rule, the maximum you can accumulate, and how credits are used up and rebuilt.
You earn one credit day for every four days you work and contribute to the UIF. Over time these credits build up, up to a maximum of 365 days. Reaching the maximum takes roughly four years of continuous contributions.
| Time contributed | Approx. credit days |
|---|---|
| 6 months | ~45 days |
| 1 year | ~91 days |
| 2 years | ~182 days |
| 4 years or more | 365 days (maximum) |
Each day you receive a benefit reduces your credit balance. When your credits reach zero, payments stop. If you return to work and contribute again, you rebuild credits for future claims, capped at the 365-day maximum.
Use our UIF Credits Calculator to estimate how many credit days you have based on how long you worked.
The maximum is 365 credit days, reached after roughly four years of continuous contributions.
You earn one credit day for every four days worked and contributed. So a longer, continuous work history means more credits and a longer possible benefit period.
Drawing benefits reduces your credits. Returning to work and contributing again rebuilds them, up to the maximum.
Credit days are what allow you to draw UIF, and the 1-for-4 rule rewards a longer contribution history with a longer benefit period. Keep track of your balance, understand that benefits draw it down, and remember that going back to work rebuilds it. Our Credits Calculator gives you a quick estimate whenever you need one.