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

Claiming job loss insurance benefits could become overwhelming if workers are unaware of all the requirements and process

Ajanta Paul

Published: Sun 28 Jul 2024, 1:19 PM

Last updated: Mon 29 Jul 2024, 7:46 AM

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.

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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:

As a result of war, declared or undeclared, riot, insurrection, armed rebellion, revolution, military or usurping force, invasion, act of a foreign enemy, hostilities, civil war, or civil disorder.
As a result of a discharge of pollutants, a nuclear event, a radioactive, toxic, explosive or other dangerous effect of any explosive nuclear equipment or part of such equipment.
As a direct or indirect result of biological or chemical pollution resulting from or contributing to terrorism.
As a result of a direct action by the government of the United Arab Emirates that led to the expropriation or nationalization of the employer’s facility, or the confiscation of his money leading to his insolvency
As a result of the occurrence of force majeure in accordance with the Civil Transactions Law of the United Arab Emirates No. (5) of 1985

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):

The dismissal document indicating the date and reason for unemployment.
An undertaking to provide a copy of the final judicial ruling in the event of a labour lawsuit between the worker and the employer.
Emirates ID copy
Certificate of insurance copy
Work permit cancellation document that was signed by employee
Visa cancellation document
Copy of the employment contract
IBAN certificate
Valid UAE mobile number
Any supporting documents that the worker may request in agreement with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation limited to the case of the worker claiming that the data included in the application are incorrect (cancellation of the work permit, administrative cancellation complaint, complaints of cancellation of the work abscondment complaint, or the labour complaint referred to the judiciary, and the insurer may request the final judicial ruling in labour lawsuits), or any other cases decided by the Ministry.

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.

It can be generated through the Dubai NOW app. Open the app, click on 'Travel' category and then select 'Travel Report'. Upload this travel report on the ILOE platform.

Within a few days, you will receive a notification that your claim has been approved or rejected. Once the claim is filed, and approved, the insurance company has to transfer the compensatory amount to the insured's account within two weeks.

Filing the application

To file a compensation application, workers need to visit the ILOE website. They must click on 'Submit a Claim,' enter their Emirates ID details and a valid UAE phone number, and then follow the steps to complete the submission.

Benefits of ILOE

The unemployment insurance scheme is divided into two categories:

The first covers those with a basic salary of Dh16,000 or below, where the insurance premium is set at Dh5 per month, and the maximum monthly compensation at Dh10,000.

The second category includes those with a basic salary exceeding Dh16,000, where the insurance premium is Dh10 per month and the monthly compensation is capped at Dh20,000.

The compensation is paid for a maximum of three months from the date of unemployment for each claim, provided the employee in question was not terminated for disciplinary reasons, and did not resign.

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