What is the UI-2.8 form and where do I get it?

The UI-2.8, officially titled "Authorisation to Pay Benefits into Banking Account", is the UIF form used by employees to authorise the Unemployment Insurance Fund to deposit benefit payments directly into their bank account. You can download the blank form from the Department of Employment and Labour website, collect one at a Labour Centre, or fill it online for free here on FillMeIn and download the completed PDF. Every person claiming UIF benefits — unemployment, illness, maternity, adoption, or dependant's benefits — must submit a UI-2.8. Without it, the UIF cannot process your payment even if your claim is approved.

Can I get the UI-2.8 form on the Capitec, FNB, or Standard Bank app?

No. The UI-2.8 is a Department of Employment and Labour form and is not available inside any bank app — not Capitec, FNB, Standard Bank, Nedbank, ABSA, TymeBank, or any other. What banking apps DO typically provide is a downloadable bank confirmation letter (usually under "Documents" or "Statements") which you may bring alongside the stamped UI-2.8 as supplementary proof — per the UIF/ABSA partnership announcement on gov.za, the letter is combined with the UI-2.8, not a substitute for it. The standard workflow is: fill the Applicant section of the UI-2.8 (on FillMeIn or by hand), take the printed form to your bank or post office so a teller can complete and stamp the Financial Institution section, then submit the stamped form at your Labour Centre. Some Labour Centres may also ask for the bank confirmation letter as supplementary proof — confirm in advance with your local office.

Is the UI-2.8 filled in by the employer or the employee?

The UI-2.8 is filled in by the employee (the person claiming benefits), not the employer. You provide your own banking details and sign the authorisation. The employer's responsibility is the UI-19 (registration) and UI-2.7 (remuneration record). The UI-2.8 is your form — it tells the UIF where to pay your money.

What is the "To be completed by the Financial Institution" section and do I fill it?

No — you do not fill that section. The UI-2.8 has two parts: the "Applicant" section (where you confirm who you are) and the "Financial Institution" section (where the bank writes your account details and stamps the form). The Applicant section that you complete is small — just your full name and 13-digit SA ID number (typed into FillMeIn), plus your signature and the date (handwritten on the printed PDF). Everything else — account holder, bank name, branch code, account number, account type, account status, and the bank official's signature, name, and stamp — is completed by the bank teller in person. After downloading your PDF from FillMeIn, take the printed form to your bank or post office and ask a teller to complete and stamp the Financial Institution section. Per the uFiling User Guide and the UIF Basic Guide, this is required — the UIF will not accept the form without the bank's completed portion. Some Labour Centres in practice may also ask for an additional bank confirmation letter from your banking app alongside the stamped form; phone your local Labour Centre in advance to confirm what supplementary documents they require.

What banking details go on the UI-2.8 and who fills them in?

The bank or post office fills in all the banking details on the UI-2.8 — account holder name and ID, name of the financial institution, branch code, account number, account type (Savings / Current / Transmission), and account status (Dormant / Active). You do NOT write these yourself. The form explicitly states "To be completed by the Financial Institution" above that section, and the applicant's declaration below reads "I declare that the information as furnished by the abovementioned Financial Institution is to my knowledge accurate and complete" — meaning the bank is the author, you are the confirmer. What you type into FillMeIn: your own full name and 13-digit SA ID number. What you handwrite on the printed PDF: your signature and the date. FillMeIn only collects the Applicant section (name + ID) because everything else on the form is either bank-filled or hand-signed.

What should I bring to the bank when I get the UI-2.8 stamped?

Bring: the printed UI-2.8 with your Applicant section already filled in (name, ID, signature, date) and your original South African ID document. The bank teller looks up your account on their system and writes the account details directly onto the form — you do not dictate the account number. Useful backup: have your most recent bank statement or a bank confirmation letter from your banking app on hand, in case the teller asks for something to cross-reference. Universal branch codes for the major SA banks (if the teller asks you to confirm): Capitec 470010, FNB 250655, Standard Bank 051001, ABSA 632005, Nedbank 198765, TymeBank 678910, African Bank 430000.

What is a universal branch code (and do I need to know it for the UI-2.8)?

A universal branch code is a single code that represents all branches of a bank nationwide — South African banks moved from branch-specific codes to universal codes several years ago. The universal branch codes are: Capitec 470010, FNB 250655, Standard Bank 051001, ABSA 632005, Nedbank 198765, African Bank 430000, TymeBank 678910, Bank Zero 888000. For the UI-2.8 specifically, the bank teller writes the branch code on the form themselves — you do not need to fill it in. Useful to know anyway so you can confirm the teller has the right code for your account.

Can I use someone else's bank account on the UI-2.8?

No. The UIF requires that benefits are paid into an account held in the claimant's own name. You cannot use a spouse's, relative's, or friend's account. Joint accounts are also generally not accepted. If you do not have a bank account, most South African banks offer basic or zero-fee accounts that you can open with just your ID document. Capitec, TymeBank, and Bank Zero are popular options with no monthly fees.

What documents go with the UI-2.8 when I submit to the Labour Centre?

Per UIF policy (uFiling User Guide + Basic Guide to the UIF), the UI-2.8 itself — with the Financial Institution section completed and stamped by your bank — is the required banking document. Submit it together with your UI-2.1 application and your South African ID. Some Labour Centres in practice also ask for a recent bank statement or a bank confirmation letter (downloadable from your banking app) as supplementary proof; this is not official policy but comes up often enough that it is worth phoning your local Labour Centre to confirm before submitting.

What if I change banks after submitting the UI-2.8?

If you change your bank account while receiving UIF benefits, you must submit a new UI-2.8 form with your updated banking details at a Department of Employment and Labour office. Do this before your next payment is due — otherwise the UIF will attempt to pay into your old account, and a failed payment causes significant delays (often 4 to 8 weeks to resolve).

How long after submitting the UI-2.8 will I receive payment?

The UI-2.8 is submitted as part of your complete UIF claim package (together with the UI-2.1, UI-2.7, and ID document). After your claim is approved, benefits are typically paid within 6 to 8 weeks. The payment goes directly into the bank account specified on your UI-2.8. You can check your claim and payment status on the uFiling portal (ufiling.labour.gov.za) or by calling 012 337 1600.

What types of UIF benefits can be paid into my account via the UI-2.8?

The UI-2.8 authorises the UIF to pay any type of benefit into your bank account: unemployment benefits (after retrenchment, dismissal, or contract expiry), illness benefits (off work for more than 14 days due to illness), maternity benefits (up to 17.32 weeks), adoption benefits (for workers who adopt a child under 2), and dependant's benefits (paid to dependants of a deceased contributor). The same UI-2.8 covers all benefit types.

What are the most common mistakes on the UI-2.8?

The most common mistakes are: using a branch-specific code instead of the universal branch code (e.g. writing an old Capitec branch code instead of 470010), transposing digits in the account number, using an account that is not in the claimant's name, not attaching proof of banking details, and leaving the form unsigned. Our FillMeIn tool validates branch codes and account details to help prevent these errors.

Is my banking information safe when using FillMeIn to fill the UI-2.8?

Yes. FillMeIn processes all data entirely on your device. Your bank account number, branch code, ID number, and all other details entered on the form never leave your phone or computer — nothing is sent to our servers or stored in the cloud. This privacy-first approach means your sensitive banking and identity information stays completely under your control.

UI-2.8 — Authorisation to Pay Benefits into Banking Account

Department of Employment and Labour · Verified 18 April 2026