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UIF back pay and arrears

We catch up her UIF, from the day she started.

Many households employ someone for years before anyone tells them about UIF. It can be fixed. We work out exactly what is owed, month by month, declare every missed month so it counts for her, pay it over to the Fund with the penalty, and follow up with the Department until it shows against her name.

Start my UIF catch-upHow it works, step by step
1

Your number

We check whether you already have a UIF reference number. If not, we prepare and submit your UIF registration first; the Department registers you.

2

Her start date and pay

You give us her real start date with you and what you paid her. We work out every missed month and show you the total, penalty and fee before anything is paid.

3

We declare and pay

Every missed month goes on one declaration under your number, and the total is paid to the Fund.

4

We follow up

Until the Department shows the months against her ID number.

What it costs

What you pay, and who it goes to

Most of a catch-up is money owed to the Unemployment Insurance Fund. We show you every line before you pay.

What it isGoes to
The back months2% of her pay for every missed month. For months in an earlier tax year you pay the full 2%; for months since 1 March, her 1% can come off her payThe Unemployment Insurance Fund
The penalty10% of the unpaid amount, charged onceThe Unemployment Insurance Fund
InterestThe law allows interest at the prescribed rate (10.50% a year from 1 September 2026); we tell you if the Fund charges itThe Unemployment Insurance Fund
Our feeNo extra fee on the full service. For a catch-up on its own, we quote our fee up front. If you are not registered for UIF yet, the registration comes first and we quote the full amount before anything is paidAskMandla

A worked example

She works part-time, about 30 hours a week, earns R4,000 a month and started on 1 March 2025, and nothing was ever paid. Up to September 2026 that is 19 months at R80 a month: R1,520 in contributions, plus a R152 penalty, so R1,672 to the Fund before any interest. You pay the 12 months of the last tax year in full; for the 7 months since March, up to R280 can come from her pay. The full method →

What we need from you

  • Her start date with you, as accurately as you can
  • What you paid her each month: payslips, bank transfers or your own record
  • Her ID number, or her passport or permit number
  • Your UIF reference number, if you have one
  • If you are not registered yet: a copy of your ID and proof of your home address

Why the declaration matters

Paying the money does not credit her on its own. Each month also has to be declared under your number with her ID or passport number, or it is never credited to her and she cannot claim when she needs to. Her benefits build up at one day for every five days she worked as a declared contributor. Paid but not declared →

UIF back pay, answered

Questions about catching up on UIF

Can you help if I never paid UIF for my domestic worker?
Yes. If you are not registered yet, we prepare and submit your registration first. Then we work out 2% of her pay for every missed month from her real start date, add the once-off 10% penalty on the unpaid amount, declare every month under your UIF number so it counts for her, pay it over and follow up with the Department until it shows.
How much does a UIF catch-up cost?
Two parts. The money owed to the Fund: 2% of her pay for each missed month, plus a 10% penalty on that unpaid amount, and interest if the Fund charges it. And our fee: on the full service there is no extra AskMandla fee for the catch-up; for a catch-up on its own, we quote our fee with the rest of the amount. You see every amount before anything is paid.
How far back do I have to pay UIF?
The Department can backdate it to the day she started working for you. Nothing before 1 April 2003 is ever owed, because that is when domestic workers came into UIF. We work it out from her real start date and pay history.
Can I take the back UIF from my worker’s pay?
Only for missed months in the current tax year (since 1 March), and never more than her 1% for those months. For months in an earlier tax year you pay the full 2% yourself.
Is just paying the arrears enough?
No. Each missed month must also be declared under your UIF number with her ID or passport number. Paying without declaring leaves the money against your account, and she still cannot claim. Declaring is the part we make sure of.
How long does it take?
We aim to submit within a few days of having your documents. The Department then takes anything from a few days to a few weeks to show the months against her name, and we follow up until it does.
Will I be fined more for coming forward?
Coming forward to fix old UIF means the ordinary once-off 10% penalty, and possibly interest. The heavier penalty in the law, up to double the contribution, is for an employer who deliberately evades paying.
Do I need the monthly service as well?
No, the catch-up is available on its own. We recommend the monthly service after it, because UIF is due every month and each late month carries its own penalty, so a household falls behind again from the next month without it.
Start my UIF catch-upNot registered yet? Register first