How to withdraw from EPF if you are impacted by Covid-19 Crisis
The Government of India had announced in March 2020 that any EPF Subscribers can withdraw a certain sum from their Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) account if he/she is facing financial problems due to COVID-19 crisis. Govt has notified amendment in EPF scheme rules regarding withdrawal of funds from the EPF account to deal with coronavirus-related financial exigencies.
According to the amended rules, a member can withdraw an amount equal to three months of basic and dearness allowance (DA) or 75 per cent of the credit balance in the account, whichever is lower for them.
Eligibility to Apply for Withdrawal
To apply for a claim online, an EPF account holder should satisfy these three conditions:
- Universal Account Number (UAN) of the EPF member must be activated
- Aadhaar number should be verified and linked with UAN
- Bank account of the EPF member with correct IFSC should be seeded with UAN.
In case of any changes or modifications, you can complete the eKYC process, and update your details before you submit a claim.
According to the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), no certificate or documents are to be submitted by the member or his/her employer for availing the benefit. However, an individual must keep the scanned copy of the cheque ready as this will have to be uploaded while applying for withdrawal from EPF account online. Ensure that the scanned copy is clear and readable.
Withdraw PF online with UAN
You can easily withdraw your PF online through your UAN by visiting the EPFO e-SEWA portal. Here are the steps you need to follow:
- Login to the portal – Visit the EPFO e-SEWA portal and login using your UAN and password, and enter the captcha code. In case you’ve forgotten your password, you can reset via an OTP sent to your registered mobile number.
- Visit Online Claims section – When you’ve logged in, you can look for ‘Claim (Form-31, 19, 10C & 10D)’ in the ‘Online Services’ section
- Enter bank account details – Once this section opens, you will be required to enter the correct bank account number (seeded with UAN), as a verification process.
- Confirm Terms & Conditions – Once you’ve verified your details, you would need to confirm the ‘Terms and Conditions’ as stated by EPFO. You can then click on ‘Proceed for Online Claim’
- Select reason for withdrawal – You’ll find a dropdown menu, from which you would need to choose the reason for withdrawing from your PF account. You will only be shown the options for which you’re eligible.
- Enter details and upload documents – When you select the reason for withdrawal, you would need to enter your complete address, and you may need to upload your cheque/passbook details if you’ve chosen the option for ‘Advance Claim’. You’ll need to accept further ‘Terms and Conditions’ before requesting a one-time password (OTP) for verification.
- Get Aadhaar OTP – Once you’ve confirmed your details and accepted the ‘Terms and Conditions’, you would need to request an OTP, which will be sent to the mobile number registered with your Aadhaar. On entering the OTP, your claim application will be submitted
Once you’ve submitted your claim, you can track the status of your claims by logging into your Member e-SEWA portal account, under ‘Track Claim Status’. The EPFO officials will match your data in their records with the data submitted in your online claim form. On completing their verification, they will process your claim application and the amount will be credited to the bank account, linked with your UAN.
