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The UI19 is the form your employer submits to declare your employment and the reason it ended. Learn what each section means and why it matters for your UIF claim.
Last updated: 2025-01-15
The UI19 is one of the most important documents in any UIF claim. It is completed by your employer and tells the Department of Employment and Labour who you are, how much you earned, how long you worked and why your employment ended. Without an accurate UI19, your claim can be delayed or rejected.
This guide explains what the UI19 is, who is responsible for it and how to check that the details are correct before you claim.
The UI19 is the official "Declaration of Information of Commercial Employees" form. Employers must submit it to the UIF every month for their staff, and again when an employee leaves. It records each employee’s remuneration and employment status so the Fund knows what contributions were made and can process claims quickly.
It is your employer’s legal duty to complete and submit the UI19. If they refuse, you can still claim by reporting the employer to the Department of Employment and Labour.
The top of the form captures the employer’s UIF reference number, trading name and contact details. These must match the employer’s registration with the Fund.
This section lists your ID number, full names, occupation and monthly remuneration. Check that your ID number and salary are captured correctly – errors here are a common cause of claim delays.
The form uses numbered codes to describe why employment ended. The code determines whether you qualify and which benefit applies.
| Code | Reason | Can you claim? |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deceased | Dependants may claim |
| 2 | Retired | No |
| 3 | Dismissed / retrenched | Yes |
| 4 | Contract expired | Yes |
| 5 | Resigned | Usually no |
| 7 | Maternity / adoption leave | Yes |
| 8 | Illness | Yes |
Your employer completes and submits the UI19. Employees do not fill it in, but you should check it for accuracy before claiming.
You can still claim. Report the employer to the nearest Department of Employment and Labour office; the Department can compel the employer to declare and can process your claim in the meantime.
Yes. Codes such as retrenchment, contract expiry, maternity and illness allow you to claim, while resignation (code 5) usually does not.
The UI19 is the backbone of your UIF claim: it proves you were employed, how much you earned and why your job ended. Always request a copy when you leave a job and check every detail carefully. Combined with our How to Calculate UIF guide and the Unemployment Benefit Calculator, an accurate UI19 gives you the best chance of a fast, successful claim.