The Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has around Rs.27,000 crore lying in inoperative accounts. There are chances that a small portion of this unclaimed money is yours. Many employees feel that the EPF account transfer is a cumbersome process and is a painful experience. It is often observed that we just ignore to transfer the funds to the existing EPF account.
EPFO do not pay interest on the EPF account, where no contributions (no activity) have been received for 36 or more months continuously. EPFO considers this type of account as an ‘Inoperative EPF Account.’ It is a daunting task to trace an inoperative EPF account and also we hardly get any help or support from EPFO.
In this post, let us understand – How to trace an inoperative EPF account? How to trace an old Employee Provident Fund a/c? What is EPFO’s online inoperative EPF account help-desk? What is the procedure to submit an online request?
Now, things are changing for the better at EPFO. It’s a good time to remember your long forgotten EPF account. And to make your job of staking a claim easier, an EPFO inoperative account online helpdesk has been launched recently.
The helpdesk works on the basis of how much and how accurate is the information that you can provide about your old / dormant EPF account(s). So, the more you provide, the better it is.
After submitting the request to the helpdesk, your query will be forwarded to the concerned EPFO’s Field Officer (Regional office). This happens if you have provided your old company’s code (Establishment code). If you have not provided the establishment code, your query is routed to the centralized EPFO helpdesk. They will call you to get more details and then your query will be forwarded to the concerned field officer to trace the old & inoperative EPF account.
Related Latest Article : Why should you Withdraw Old EPF Account Balance? | In-operative EPF A/c Timeline
How can I check the status of my request on EPF Inoperative Account Helpdesk online portal?
EPFO helpdesk portal has a facility to track the status of your request(s), based on the reference number.
Once your account is traced by the EPFO’s field officer, you will be notified through an SMS. You need to either withdraw the monies (by submitting Form 9) or transfer your old EPF account to your current EPF account.
If you are currently employed and have activated your Universal Account Number (UAN), link the old EPF account with your current EPF Account. Once the linking is complete, you can transfer the EPF funds online.
Trace and track your old EPF accounts. Even if the amount of your claim is small, reclaim it NOW. Kindly share your views on EPF inoperative EPF account help-desk facility. Cheers!
Latest Update (30-March-2016) : The Employees Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has decided to provide Interest on Inoperative Accounts from 1st April, 2016.
Latest News (31-Oct-2016) : ‘Rate of Interest on Inoperative EPF accounts’ – EPFO to pay 8.8% as interest on Inoperative EPF (Employee Provident Fund) accounts. In case of EPF, if there is no contribution paid during the last 36 months, then that account is classified as “inoperative”. The inoperative accounts are not being paid interest since 2011. Around Rs 42,000 crore is lying in “inoperative accounts” across the country. About 9.70 crore employees will benefit from this proposed notification. Henceforth, the concept of Inoperative accounts will cease to exist. (Source : PTI & Union Labour Ministry)
Latest update (16-Nov-2017) : If an employee who is a member of EPF scheme, quits or retires from his employment and continues holding the accumulated PF balance, he/she has to pay tax on interest from the date of unemployment. So, the interest on EPF is tax-exempt only when the member is employed and the Interest credited to an employee provident fund (EPF) account after an individual ceases to be in employment is taxable in his/her hands in the year of credit. Interest that has been accrued post employment is taxable. This is as per the recent order by Income tax appellate Tribunal.
(Source: Times of India & Moneycontrol)
Continue Reading : ‘How to search, find and reclaim monies lying in inoperative Bank Accounts?’
(Reference : EPFO User Manual. Photo Credit : rediff.com)
This post was last modified on July 10, 2023 6:30 pm
Filing your Income Tax Return (ITR) is not just about meeting deadlines—it’s about choosing the…
Retirement planning in India is often misunderstood. Many people think any long-term savings or investment…
You’ve probably seen the same property quoted at different prices. One person says ₹60 lakh,…
Buying insurance is easy. Getting your claim settled—that’s where the real test begins. For any…
Gifting immovable property—like land, plots, or houses—is super common in India. Families often do it…
Most people believe that investing alone is enough to create wealth. But in reality, many…
This website uses cookies.
View Comments
Sir i don't know my Pf account num how can i know .i have already resigned from that company .iwant to apply pf.no one is responding to give Pf number in that organisation.
Dear yamini..Did you raise service request using above heldesk link? You can provide all the details that you are aware of and EPFO will get back to you about your ePF a/c details. You can also find your EPF a/c no on your payslip or final settlement doc etc.
Dear Sir,I have leave my old company 7 years ago in bangalore now i am staying in odisha .I have already send all the document to my employer for settlement my pf a/c but employer not responding and one more time i send all the document to EPF office they will say me that your DOB and DOJ and Date of leaving is not mention by employer,actually i forgot my joining date and leaving date.now i want to settlement my pf a/c kindly help me how can i get my pf amount.
Dear Rabindra,
Your Ex-employer has to assist you in this case. Are you currently employed and contributing to EPF scheme?
Dear Sreekanth, I left the organisation in 2008 and after that I didnt claimed my PF. In 2009 the company was taken over by other Company. Now it has been 7 yrs that I didnt withdraw my PF. Request you to kindly guide me with the procedure for withdrawal. I have my PF a/c no with salary slip.
My point here is that my company where I was working was taken over / purchased by other company .Can I directly apply for withdrawal at PF office?
Pls assist
Regards
Saket
Dear SAKET,
Suggest you to first submit a request through helpdesk link as provided in the article.
You can also submit the Withdrawal form + PAN card copy at EPFO office.
Since your EPF a/c is not linked with UAN you need Ex-employer's attestation on withdrawal form. But it is not possible for you to get this done.
So, you can submit Affidavit + get attestation of withdrawal form by any gazetted officer , and then you can submit the docs at EPFO office.
Suggest you to check with them first and proceed.
Dear Sreekanth,
I have tried akot but I am not geting the text after clicking on " generate pin".
Is there any specific time window for that or is there any email id available of the same team??
Dear Deepak..i am not sure what could be the reason. You can contact the EPFO office directly in person.
i ned to chech tn/40308/2264
Hi,
Few years back my mom worked in a shoe company for 22 years , her account is now in inactive status .actually the problem is my mom don't have proper age proof and we are unable to get age proof since she didn't do schooling and no one is there to help in native place too , my marriage is nearing and her PF account will be more useful . Is that aadhar card enough for age proof ? or is there any process like medical test , court so on.. kindly help me how to claim PF amount and do needful soon ..
Dear Fathi,
I believe that Aadhar card should be a good enough document for age proof.Kindly raise a request using above helpdesk facility. (or) You may approach nearest EPFO regional office too.
Once you have EPF a/c details, you can submit the withdrawal request to Ex-employer.
Hello Sir,
The 'Inoperative A/c Helpdesk' link is not working. It says the webpage is not available. I have tried many times on different machines. Is the facility still there? Is there any alternative?
Thanks a lot!!
Sandeep
Dear Sandeep..I am able to access the link, just now checked it using Google Chrome browser. Try accessing it from a different location and not just a different machine.
Hi Srikanth,
I have worked for 7.7 years in a organization and resigned last month, after that I joined a new company where I got new pf account number linked with my UAN account.
I would like to know that am I eligible to withdraw my previous company pf ? when can I apply for pf withdrawal?
Regards,
Muniraj
Dear Raju,
As you are currently employed, legally you should transfer your old EPF monies to your new acccount.
Kindly go through my article - EPF online transfer through OCTP.
Hi Sree,
I really need to withdraw my PF for my sister's marriage. How can I do that ?
I left my previous organization 7 months before and I worked there for 2.7 years. Is there any way to withdraw my PF ?
Thanks,
Alok
Dear Alok.. Are you currently employed?
You can contact your ex-employer and submit EPF withdrawal form along with PAN details.
Your withdrawals may be subject to TDS. Read my article : EPF Withdrawals & new TDS rules.
Hi Sree,
Yes I am currently employed.
My previous employer is saying that they I can only transfer the money to some other PF account.
Is IT ?
As per EPFO website current circular I can withdraw my PF money after paying TDS .
Please suggest how I can go for Withdrawl ?
Thanks & Regards,
Alok Singh
Dear Alok,
If you are currently employed then legally you need to transfer your old EPF ac money to your new account.
Hi Sree
Can I get the details of my inoperative EPF account, like when my account was opened, my monthly contribution etc. And other details
Dear Mohammed,
You may not get the required details, but you can trace the account and link it to your existing (if any) EPF account, after which you can keep a track of the entire fund.
Also, when you receive a call from EPFO team you may try to get the details.
Thank you Very much Sreekanth Reddy
Hi Mr. Sreekanth Reddy. Good Day. This is LV Sastry, a Sr. Citizen from Hyderabad.
Have you come accrossed any case law on payment of Interest for the In-operative PF Account for the period beyond 36 months. If so may I request you to pl. share copy of the same to my mail ID: lollasastry@covalentlab.com, as I have to get some PF interest for the In-operative PF Account for the period beyond 36 months from my previous Employer. Following are my details pl.
-Aafter serving for about 12 years I was Superannuated on 31-7-2010 from a Mumbai based MNC who is having an Exempted PF Trust.
-Thereafter I re-joined as a regular employee in a Private Ltd., Co., on 15-12-2010 ie., within a period of 36 months in which they started depositing my monthly contributions right from the day one ie., from 15-12-2010 with RPFC, Patancheru, Telangana.
-Sometime in Feb.2014 through my present Employer and through RPFC, Patancheru I have requested my previous Employer ie., Exempted PF Trust to transfer my PF accumulations together with updated Interest to RPFC, Patancheru.
-However while transferring my PF accumulations sometime in March 2014 they have paid interest upto 31-7-2013 only(36 months only) and not paid the PF interest for the period 1-8-2013 to March 2014 ie., for about 8 months which resulted in a short payment of about Rs.70,000/- towards interest for the in effective PF Account. Whereas my previous Employer ie., PF Trust earned the interest on my money for the balance 8 months also and the same is with the PF Trust only. After I left my previous Employer on my Superannuation they have neither settled my PF within the stipulated statutory period nor they reminded me any thing on this.
Initially (some time in April/May 2014) when I requested them to pay balance interest also for the remaining 8 months they said the programme which they adopted permits them to calculate interest for 36 months only and not beyond that. Once again when I represented the matter the PF Trust suggested to obtain written orders from PF Authorities.
Subsequently when I represented the matter, instead of examining all the above points in detail RPFC, Bandra East, Mumbai ( as my previous Co.(PF Trust) is under their jurisidication) simply informed that interest will not be paid beyond 36 months.
- In this connection may I request you to pl. go through the relevant link ---http//:www.livemint.com/Politics/LswkUw6wiYzsw5rG7XiCvI/ Inactive -EPF-accounts, about Inactive EPF accounts to earn Interest: Government published in Live Mint on 01.12.2012. According to which in the case of Transfer of In-effective PF accounts from previous Organisation to present Organisation Government of India decided to pay the Interest even for the period beyond 36 months and no interest will be paid for the cases of withdrawal of amounts from Ineffective PF accounts.
As my case is a transfer case and not a case of PF withdrawal and further as it is an hard earned money and you will also agree with me that every paisa is valuable particularly in the fall of life of a Sr.Citizen may I request you to kindly guide me that how to get my balance PF Interest also from my previous Employer. For further details, if any, I may be contacted on 09866077163.(Mobile) and on my Mail id: lollasastry@covalentlab.com.
There may be number of other similar victims also like me.
Best Regards,
LV Sastry.
09866077163.(Mobile).
Mail id: lollasastry@covalentlab.com.
THANKS MR . Lv Sastry but i send full detail you next day .\
my number 9509520259,9828090201