I pay UIF all my working life, but when I want to ask for help from them, they expect me to stand around on the street for hours like a beggar.....

I first started working in SA in 1989 and as far as I know I have been paying UIF since then. Now, for the first time in my life I am needing to make a claim and I am very frustrated with the absurd amount of queuing involved. When I went to register my claim in Somerset West last month, I sat in a queue for over 3 hours before being attended to. The staff were helpful and friendly, but at times there was only one or two people attending to clients, so it took forever. I was given a piece of paper and told to return to the Town Hall today at 8h00 to sign and get an update on my claim. I arrived on time for my 8h00 appointment, only to find they had made the same appointment with a couple of thousand other people! The queue went down Main Rd, turned down Church St, before curling into the Taxi rank! From talking to those around me I learnt that I would probably be waiting again for 3 hours, but this time on the street, amidst traffic noise and fumes and a crowd of people, many of whom were smoking. I pay UIF all my working life, but when I want to ask for help from them, they expect me to stand around on the street for hours like a beggar.....