If an employee dies while working, the dependants can claim dependant’s benefits from the Fund. A dependant can be:

• The employee’s wife/husband/life partner
• Any dependant child under 21 years if there is no surviving spouse (husband or wife) or if the surviving spouse/life partner has not made application for the benefits within 6 months.

To get dependant’s benefits the employee must satisfy the following conditions:

• The employee must have been contributing to the fund and money must have been deducted from his/her salary for uif every month
• The claim for benefits must be made within 6 months of the death of the employee
• The claim must be made on the proper form.

If the surviving spouse or life partner does not make a claim within 6 months, then a dependant child can apply for the benefits, provided that the claim is made within 14 days after the 6 months has expired (during which the spouse should have applied).

Benefits can be paid up to maximum of 238 days in any period of 4 years, depending on the number of credits an employee has earned.

The benefits that are paid are equal to the unemployment benefits that would have been paid, if the person was still alive.