An employee will not get illness benefits:

• If the claims officer decides that the employee’s illness arises from his/her own misconduct
• For as long as the employee unreasonably refuses or neglects to undergo treatment or to carry out the doctor’s instructions. The claims officer decides whether the employee’s refusal or neglect is unreasonable.

To apply for illness benefits, you must register at the employment office closest to where you live. If you are too ill to go to the UIF office, a friend or family member can bring you the form to sign.
(See: Illness Benefits)

Illness benefits are claimed on FORM UF86. The doctor who is treating you must complete paragraph 15 of this form. This is a medical certificate. The rest of the form is completed by people working at the employment office. If you are also unemployed, in other words, you have also lost your job, you must tell the claims officer that you are unemployed. But if you still have a job and are on unpaid sick leave, then you only need FORM UF86.

Once the application for illness benefits is approved, the employment office will post FORM UF87 to you. This form must be signed by the doctor as soon as possible. You then fill in the rest of the form and return it to them. No illness benefits will be paid until you have returned the completed FORM UF87. You will only be paid for the period the doctor books you off work.

If you are dismissed when you are ill and the doctor has laid you off for less than 6 months, the balance can be claimed as unemployment benefits.

Illness benefits are not paid for the first 2 weeks off work. But if the illness lasts longer than 2 weeks and illness benefits are paid, then you will receive benefits for any period in the first 2 weeks for which you did not get normal wages.

Illness benefits can be paid in one lump sum or in several payments. The amount will be paid into a bank account.