If you have changed jobs several times, it is possible that you have multiple Employees Provident Fund (EPF) accounts linked to the same UAN (Universal Account Number). With every new job, Employees’ Provident Fund Organization i.e. EPFO issues a new Member ID.
In such a situation, it becomes very important to merge the old and new PF accounts. With this, your service history for pension remains correct, PF withdrawal or claim settlement gets expedited and interest continues to be received on the deposited amount. Let us know the easy way to merge PF accounts online.
What should be prepared before merging PF accounts?
No physical document is required to merge PF account. But it is necessary to have KYC updated and verified in your UAN profile.
Keep these things ready for this:
- Active UAN number and mobile number linked to it
- Member ID of old PF account
- Aadhaar, PAN and bank details updated and verified
- KYC must be approved by the employer
Benefits of merging multiple PF accounts
- Keeping PF balance in one place makes it easy to track.
- You get the benefit of compounding by transferring money instead of withdrawing it when you change jobs.
- At the current interest rate of 8.25%, your retirement fund can grow rapidly.
- Those who have worked for more than 10 years get the benefit of EPS pension. By merging PF, the old service also remains connected.
- The process of claim settlement and withdrawal of money becomes faster.
- There is less risk of old accounts becoming inactive or unclaimed.
Merge multiple PF accounts online like this
- Go to EPFO Unified Member Portal and login with UAN and password.
- Go to Online Services tab.
- Click on One Member One EPF Account (Transfer Request).
- Verify your personal details and existing PF account.
- To see PF details of the old employer, click on Get Details.
- Now choose either current or previous employer for attestation.
- Enter Member ID or UAN.
- Click on Get OTP.
- Submit the application by entering the OTP received on the mobile.
Merge can also be done through email
If you have more than one UAN, you can request for closure of the old UAN by sending a mail to [email protected]. After the details are verified, EPFO will deactivate the old UAN and send SMS. After this you can go to EPFO portal and submit PF transfer claim.
Check status like this
Login to EPFO Member e-Sewa Portal and click on Track Claim Status. Here you will know whether the claim is pending with the employer or has been approved.
PF transfer may happen automatically in future
EPFO has recently proposed to introduce such a system, in which the PF balance will be automatically transferred to the new account as soon as the job is changed. With this, crores of employees can get relief from the paper process.
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