The employer declaration (UI19) is required to update the employment history UIF system displaying a record of each employer you have been employed by. When beginning a claim, it is advisable for the individual to call UIF and ask them to check what employment history the Department of Labour has captured on their system. If there is any information missing in terms of your employment history, claims will not proceed. This must be sorted out before the claim begins where possible.
This is the most common reason for delays and non-payments of UIF claims.
The process only works if the employer declaration (UI19) employment history has been updated on their system. As much as employers and employees can provide the correct information to the department, it does not always mean that the documentation is 1. Captured 2. Captured correctly.
Best advice is to get the email address of the person you speak to on the phone and send any missing information to them directly and then follow up constantly with them to ensure the information is correct and has been updated on their system. Once you have confirmed that its correct, proceed with the UIF online filing.
Another point to remember is that sometimes the first payments can be small and go unnoticed in your bank account. Check your account for any payment from reference UIF and if you see a payment, it means you claim is approved. Go back online and submit your request for payment (also called a continuation of payment). You must do this monthly until the claim has fully paid out.