UAE unemployment insurance: How to claim ILOE, eligibility, process explained

The UAE's Involuntary Loss of Employment (ILOE) insurance scheme, mandatory for all employees, compensates and supports public and private sector employees by providing cash benefits if they lose their jobs.

It's a safety net designed by the government for residents in case of redundancy. Employees who subscribe to the scheme for more than 12 consecutive months are protected through the scheme. However, employees will not get compensation if they cancel their residency and leave the country or take up a new job.

Employees must also meet specific criteria and provide the necessary documentation to claim benefits after involuntarily losing a job. Claiming ILOE benefits can become overwhelming if workers are unaware of all the requirements. Here’s a detailed list of documents needed, the process involved, and the processing timeline.

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Eligibility criteria

1. The subscription period to the unemployment insurance scheme shall not be less than twelve (12) consecutive months, provided that there is no interruption in subscription for more than three consecutive months.

2. The insured employee must have paid all the insurance premium subscriptions due on time.

3. The employee must prove that the reason for unemployment is not due to resignation. The letter from the employer and the Mohre work permit cancellation application should state 'termination'. This one mistake can deprive an employee of job loss benefits, causing them to miss out on the monthly cash support that the insurance promises.

4. Even after providing termination proof, the employee will be eligible if he/she was not dismissed from work for disciplinary reasons in accordance with the provisions of the applicable legislation regulating Labour Relations in the Private Sector and Human Resources in the Federal Government.

5. The claim must be submitted within thirty (30) days from the date of the termination of the labour relationship or the settlement of the labour complaint referred to the judiciary.

6. The Insured worker should not have an existing complaint related to their absence from work (absconding).

7. The Insured shall not be entitled for compensation if there has been fraud or deceit involved in his claim, or if the organisation/employer where he works for is proven to be fictitious.

8. The loss of employment should not be the result of non-peaceful labour strikes or stoppages, whether they result in harm or not.

9. In order to claim the insurance, the worker must be legally present in the UAE.

10. The loss of employment should not be the result of one of the following reasons:

Submission of claims

To apply for the claim, ensure that your labour contract is cancelled by your employer. You will need both the labour cancellation request document and the cancelled contract document for the process.

1. Fill out the claim form and submit it to ILOE within thirty (30) days from the date of termination.

2. The following documents must attached (in PDF format):

3. Dubai Insurance Company, on its own and on behalf of the insurance companies that are members of the Insurance Pool, shall pay within two weeks from the date of receiving the claim, provided that the submitted documents comply with the established eligibility criteria. The insurer will transfer the claim payment to the account designated by the insured.

The process

Once workers file a claim, the insurer will process the documents; the time frame for this verification may differ from case to case. If everything is in order, the ILOE will request a 'travel report' to confirm worker's presence in the UAE.

One must generate the travel report before the visa cancellation. Issuance of travel report (entry and exit movement) can be done through GDRFA or from Amer centre.

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