Queues at the Department of Labour office in Cape Town. Some people claiming unemployment benefits online may be sending their files to an old system that accepts applications but processes nothing.

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The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has conceded that parts of a “dead” website for claims submissions were still accessible, even though it no longer processed unemployment or parental leave claims.

On Sunday, the UIF issued a statement following an article first published by GroundUp on Wednesday, about the defunct website existing in parallel to a new claims site.

According to the statement, the UIF is currently undergoing a “phased migration” from the legacy uFiling system to a new, upgraded and integrated digital platform known as UIF Online.

“The migration process commenced in April 2025 and is aimed at replacing an ageing system that has been in operation for approximately 19 years and had begun experiencing technological and operational limitations.

“The new UIF Online platform has been developed using updated technology to provide a more user-friendly experience, improved turnaround times, enhanced communication with clients regarding the status of applications, and better claims management through integrated Business Intelligence capabilities.”

The UIF said the migration process is being implemented in three phases:

• Phase 1, which has been concluded, included the migration of employee claims functionality and related internal systems;
• Phase 2 focuses on mobile access and digital enhancements currently being piloted; and
• Phase 3, which involves the migration of employer services, is expected to be finalised by August 2026.

“The UIF wishes to clarify that employee claims functionality on the old uFiling platform has already been closed and new claims are no longer processed through the legacy claims system. However, the employer module remains temporarily accessible on the old platform while final testing and implementation of the upgraded employer services are being concluded.

“The Fund is aware that some users may still encounter or attempt to access the old platform during the transition period.”

READ | You may be sending your UIF claim to a dead website

According to the statement, it is conducting “public awareness initiatives” and is “intensifying communication and education campaigns across various media platforms to ensure that employees and employers are informed about the correct digital channels to use.”

According to the GroundUp article, the old platform remains live, appears high up in online search results, and gives no indication that it is no longer valid. Claimants often only discover the problem months later, when they enquire about the status of their claims.

The UIF paid R18 billion in benefits during the 2024/25 financial year.