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Your UIF "balance" is really your credit days – the number of days you can still claim. Learn how credits work and how to check how many you have left.
Last updated: 2025-01-15
People often talk about their "UIF balance", but the Fund does not hold a pot of money in your name. What actually matters is your credit days – the number of days of benefit you have earned and can still claim. This guide explains how those credits work and how to check how many you have.
Knowing your credit balance helps you understand how long your payments can last if you become unemployed.
You earn one credit day for every four days you work and contribute to the UIF, up to a maximum of 365 credit days. Each day you draw a benefit reduces your credit balance. When your credits run out, your payments stop, even if you are still unemployed.
Use our UIF Credits Calculator to estimate how many credit days you have accumulated based on how long you worked.
Once your claim is approved, each payment period draws down your credit days. If you return to work and contribute again, you rebuild credits for future claims, up to the 365-day ceiling.
The maximum is 365 credit days, which you reach after roughly four years of continuous contributions.
Credits are linked to your contribution history. Drawing benefits reduces them, while returning to work and contributing again rebuilds them up to the ceiling.
The most accurate place is your uFiling account. You can also ask the call centre or a labour office using your ID number.
Your UIF "balance" is your credit days, and they decide how long your benefit payments can last. Check them on uFiling, by phone or at a labour office, and use our Credits Calculator for a quick estimate. Understanding your credits helps you plan ahead if your income is ever interrupted.