How to Claim EPF Online?

Claim EPF Online

EPF or the Employee Provident Fund is basically a government scheme which enables the employees and their employers to deposit 12% of the employee’s dearness allowance and basic salary goes to the employee’s EPF account every month. An interest of 8.5% is also offered to the employee on the deposited amount.

The EPF scheme intends to develop a habit of savings among the employees and eventually, help them build a corpus for their retirement. The employer contributes to this corpus as a reward for the employee’s dedication and hard work throughout his/her employment journey.

How to Claim PF Amount Online?

The EPFO allows all employees to withdraw their entire EPF corpus only upon retirement. However, a part of the corpus can be withdrawn by the employees under various circumstances as listed below-

  • Medical emergency
  • Purchase of first property in the name of the employee
  • Higher education of the employee or his/her children

It must be noted that EPFO considers early retirement only after the employee has reached 55 years of age. For partial withdrawals by the employee, explained below is the process to claim EPF online-

  1. Log in to the UAN member portal using your credentials
  2. Click on ‘Online services’ from the top menu bar
  3. From the dropdown menu, select the option of ‘Claim (Form-31, 19 & 10C)
  4. The next screen that opens will display all the member details
  5. On this screen, you need to enter the last 4 digits of your bank account number and click on ‘Verify’
  6. Sign the Certificate of Undertaking by clicking on ‘Yes’ and proceed with the steps
  7. Now, to withdraw your funds online, you need to select the ‘PF Advance (Form 31)’ option
  8. This will open a new section of the form, asking you to select the ‘Purpose for which withdrawal advance is required’
  9. In the same section of the form, you will be asked to enter the withdrawal amount along with the employee’s address
  10. After entering the details, ensure to tick mark on the certification to finally submit your EPF withdrawal application
  11. It is important to note that depending on the purpose of your withdrawal, you might also be asked to submit certain scanned documents
  12. After completing all the formalities, you will have to reach out to your employer to approve your request to withdraw EPF

EPF Withdrawal Limit

EPFO allows a limited amount to be withdrawn from the employee’s EPF account. This amount depends upon the purpose of EPF withdrawal. Explained below is a detail of the same-

Purpose of EPF WithdrawalEPF Withdrawal Limit
Medical emergencyTotal corpus or six times the monthly salary- whichever is lower
Wedding50% of the total EPF contribution till date
Repayment of Home loanUpto 90% of the total EPF corpus
Home Renovation12 times the monthly salary
Unemployment75% after 1 month of unemployment, 25% after 2nd month of unemployment
RetirementTotal corpus

Eligibility Conditions to Claim EPF Online

Following conditions must be met by an employee to be eligible for EPF withdrawal-

  1. The total corpus accumulated in the EPF account can be withdrawn only upon retirement of the employee (Note that early retirement is also possible only after 55 years of age and not before that)
  2. Employees can withdraw 90% of their EPF corpus before 1 year of their retirement
  3. Considering the COVID-19 pandemic or similar situations when there might a lockdown in the entire country, EPFO has allowed withdrawal of EPF if an employee faces unemployment before retirement due to lockdown or retrenchment
  4. The new rules laid down by the EPFO also state that only 75% of the total EPF corpus can be withdrawn after 1 month of unemployment, while the remaining will be transferred to the new EPF after gaining employment
  5. Employee who link their UAN and Aadhaar to their EPF account can seek approval for EPF withdrawal from their employers online
  6. Employees must have their active UAN, bank details linked with their active UAN and details of their Aadhaar and PAN as seeded into the EPF database

Documents Required to Claim EPF Online

The following documents must be furnished at the time of EPF withdrawal-

  1. Composite Claim Form
  2. Identity Proof
  3. Address Proof
  4. Two revenue stamps
  5. One blank and canceled cheque (should have visible IFSC and account number)
  6. Bank account statement (in the name of the EPF holder, while he/she is alive)
  7. Personal details such as-
    • Father’s Name
    • Date of birth
  8. ITR Forms 2 and 3, only if the employee withdraws his EPF corpus before 5 years of continuous service (This is required as a proof of detailed breakup of the amount deposited in the PF account every year)

To Conclude:

While the major idea behind accumulation of funds in the employee’s provident fund is to inhibit the habit of savings among employees, the EPFO still allows its members withdraw their savings in time of dire need. Because, what will be the use of savings, if they can’t be used in times of need! The UAN portal has a very simple, quick process to make your EPF claim online. All you need is your Universal Account Number (UAN) and a few documents through the process.

FAQs

In how many days can the EPF claim online be processed?

After the withdrawal request has been duly submitted and approved by the employer, it takes around 15-20 days for the money to reach your bank account.

Can I claim the full PF amount withdrawal?

You can only claim a limited amount from your PF account, depending upon the purpose of your EPF withdrawal. However, the entire amount can only be withdrawn upon retirement.

How to check EPF claim status?

To check EPF claim status, employees must first raise a request to the EPFO regarding withdrawal of funds from their EPF account. Once the request has been raised, EPF members can check their EPF claim status online using any online or offline methods such as using the EPFO online portal, the UMANG mobile application, by sending an SMS or giving a missed call on the EPFO toll free number.

What is EPFO Composite claim form?

Composite Claim Form is basically a combination of Form 19, Form 10C and Form 31. Members must fill Form 19 for the final settlement of their PF corpus. Form 10C, on the other hand, must be filled for the withdrawal of pension, while Form 31 should be filled for partial PF withdrawal. Composite Claim Form, however, should be the only one to be filled for withdrawal of PF corpus offline.

Is it mandatory to provide the PAN card for EPF withdrawal?

Even though it is not mandatory to provide the PAN card for EPF withdrawal, it is still recommended to provide the same. This is because if you provide your PAN card at the time of EPF withdrawal, you will be liable to pay a 10% TDS, which will be 30% if you don’t provide your PAN.
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