Everything you need to know about EPFO’s Universal Account Number (UAN)
The Universal Account Number (UAN) was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2014. The UAN is a 12-digit identification number for all individuals who contribute to the Employee Provident Fund (EPF) and this number is generated by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO). Once generated, the UAN is allotted to the employee by their employer. The idea behind introducing the UAN was to create a common reference for the EPF account numbers that an individual might have if they change jobs.
In August 2015, the UAN was made mandatory for all contributors to the EPF. Additionally, employees were also required to have their bank account, PAN and Aadhaar details seeded with their UAN. The UAN can be used to access the EPF subscriber’s PF account, make withdrawal claims and avail a number of services offered by the EPFO.
Listed below are the important things an employee should know about UAN
- An employee should know his/her UAN status by contacting the employer.
- Activate UAN by entering the UAN provided by the employer, mobile number PF Account number.In case an employer does not provide a UAN, the employee should check whether he/she has been allotted a UAN or not by EPFO by visiting the Employee Provident Fund Organization.
Documents required to generate UAN
- Bank details – account number, IFSC code, branch name.
- Passport
- Aadhaar card
- PAN card
- Ration card
- Driver’s license
- ESIC card
How to activate UAN
The following steps should be followed to activate the UAN: Download UAN Activation Process
- Log in to the official EPFO website and select the “Activate UAN” option
- UAN activation can be done either through UAN, PAN or Aadhaar.
- After selecting one of three option mentioned above, enter personal details including the mobile number.
- A verification PIN will be sent to the mobile number. Once entered, select the “Authorize and Activate” option.
How to activate UAN through SMS and EPFO App
The EPFO App was launched in 2015 and can be used to access EPFO information through a smartphone.
To activate UAN, the individual should download the app and enter their UAN login and registered mobile number. Once submitted, the individual receives the requested details.
To activate UAN through SMS, the individual should send the following SMS to 7738299899:
EPFOHO UAN <first three letters of the preferred language >
How To Change Employee Name, Date of Birth and Gender In EPF Account
It has been seen that many EPF members are facing problem in seeding Aadhaar with their UAN as there is mismatch in Name, DOB or Gender between Aadhaar data and UAN data. Presently member and employer are required to give joint request to concerned EPFO field office for correction in basic details. Now this request can be given online by member and in turn employer can online forward the request to concerned EPFO office.
Click here to Download Step by step process flow for this functionality in Pdf
Supporting Documents for Name Change in EPF Account
There is a list of documents that the government has declared to be acceptable for these changes and that list includes documents like:
- PAN card
- Driver’s license
- Passports
- Voters ID card
- ESIC ID card
- Aadhaar card
- Bank or post office passbooks
- Certificates related to schools and education
- Copy of a phone or electricity or a water bill that has your name on it
- Certificates of birth or death that have been issued by the registrar
- A certificate that is created based on the records of government service (state or central)
- In extreme cases a letter issued by a recognised public figure, which has been verified by the proper authorities, can also be used as proof.
How to Transfer PF Funds Easily to another PF Account
The EPFO had always allowed fund transfers. But it was time consuming and cumbersome since an employee had to get a Form 13 signed by his ex-employer and submit to the present employer. Also the form had to be sent by post and could get lost or misplaced. There was lot of discontent among employees and therefore it explained the dormant accounts lying with EPFO.
EPFO Online:
However, things have started changing radically after EPFO launched an online, self-service portal on 2 October 2013 for online transfer of funds. Already, over 1.15 lakh employees have applied on the portal to transfer their PF funds. While, 90,000 claims out of this has been settled, about 8,900 have been rejected.
Hence, the success of online PF transfer is very high. For ease in transferring funds online, EPFO in July 2013, introduced a revised Form 13 . This can be submitted to either the present or to your previous employer. Earlier, the employee had to submit it only to the previous employer. But, if the present employer falls under the exempted category (that is maintains a trust), then the form can be submitted only to present employer. They have also launched a Universal Account Number that links a particular member to a particular account and facilitates its portability when the member changes employers.
Step-By-Step Guide for Online Transfer of PF Funds : Download Process in pdf
Here is a step-by-step guide to how you can log into the EPFO portal and facilitate the transfer of your PF funds from one employer to another.
If you have already been assigned a Universal Account Number, you can transfer funds easily. Ask your employer for UAN, if you haven’t got it.
- Go to the EPFO website at http://members.epfoservices.in/home.php and create your UAN based login ID.
- This will take you to a page where you have to enter your UAN, mobile number and details of current employer like state, establishment number and account number.
- Then you need to check if account is eligible for a transfer on the EPFO site. You need to fill in the state where the employer was located and search by name or establishment number from a dropdown menu.
- After you have filled in the details, click on Check Eligibility.
- The site will then let you know if your account is eligible, or not. If it is, then you can register on the EPFO website.
- You have to submit a valid photo ID such PAN card, Aadhaar or driving licence. The website will also send a PIN to your mobile which you have to verify.
- Submitting the PIN successfully will give you a confirmation message. Continue further.
- This will take you to the EPFO Member Claims Portal, To log in you have to provide the document ID and phone number. After signing in, you can see all options.
- Go to the top tabs and click on Request for transfer of account.
- You can now access and fill in PF transfer form. It has three broad parts:
- First, you have to enter personal information in the first part. Other than your name and email you have to enter IFSC code of the bank and your salary account number.
- In second part, fill in details of your old PF account
- In part three, fill in details of current PF account.The claim can be attested by your previous or current employer. It takes some time for their end to do it.
- After the form is correctly filled in, you can click preview to see if the information is correct. Or else modify.
- After ensuring all the information is correct, enter the captcha and get PIN. Also click “I Agree”.
- After entering the PIN, the claim transfer is initiated.
You can also check the status of your funds transfer through the portal. In case of any hitches you may enquire at the previous/ current employer end or write to EPFO directly.
This is how easy, the funds transfer of PF has become through the online portal.
Click here to download PF transfer process.
PF claim (PF settlement/EPS settlement/Partial settlement/PF transfer) by online process:
As per EPFO direction 100% claim will be settled through online. Hence it is to inform you that all claims for settlement, advance transfer must filed through online only, no physical claim will be entertained by EPFO.
