While EPFO has come a long way from the earlier pre-digitization era and has provided UAN website for transfer of EPF, online withdrawal of EPF, there are still a number of gaps and inconveniences to employees etc. For example, PAN verification, claim settlement and various other EPFO issues are still to be effectively addressed online. Some of the problems that an employee’s faces are given below. We had started  Change.org petition of UAN website to highlight many of the issues. given below

1. What to do after PAN Verification failure? How to find the reason for PAN Verification failure?
2. After approval of the request of Name updation by EPFO, the updated Name is not reflected
3. After EPF Transfer Show EPS amount transferred also in Passbook
4. One cannot see the old work history after transfer especially if one joins the organization again where one had worked earlier.

Extensions suggested for

• One should be allowed to update Gender, Father’s name, relationship. Currently one has to submit Joint Declaration forms.
• Pension calculator should be provided so that one can know how much pension will one earn.  there has to be greater transparency around how monthly pension amounts are determined.

Known Problem No Solution

• EPS withdrawal rejection for those whose employer’s have contributed to EPF and EPS but they joined after Sep 2014 and basic is more than 15,000.

After raising questions multiple times with EPFO through their Twitter channel, finally, we started a Change.org petition. If you could take a moment to sign the petition here we will appreciate it.

Ways to complain to EPFO

• UAN Help Desk: The UAN help desk number  1800 11 8005 with Timing from 9:15 AM to 5:45 PM is difficult to get through.
• E-mail: You can send E-mail to Help Desk – employeefeedback@epfindia.gov.in
• Social Media channels of EPFO Twitter and Facebook. Not very responsive.
• EPF Complaint site: There is a grievance management system where an employee can register her grievance giving the relevant details, the system is not very efficient, many times we don’t get any messages and the grievance rarely gets sorted based on the complaint registered. Our article How to register EPF complaint at EPF Grievance website online explains it in detail.

Updation of Name is not reflecting in UAN site

UAN has provided facility to update the name in UAN as explained in our article EPF UAN Correction: How to correct Name, Date of Birth, Gender Online in UAN as per Aadhaar

But after approval of the Name updating by employer and EPFO, it is not reflecting in the UAN site. When contacted Social account of EPFO, it asked to raise a grievance and then contact employeefeedback@epfindia.gov.in.

When readers raised a grievance to EPFO regional office but they are saying that it is some technical issue which needs to be handled by the technical team.

Some days ago when readers contacted employeefeedback@epfindia.gov.in they had said that name correction has been handled by regional PF office.

After EPF Transfer Show EPS amount transferred also in Passbook

After EPF Transfer, many face the question I had transferred my EPF account from my old organization to the new company. While EPF transfer was reflected in the UAN passbook there was no information about EPS transfer. I checked my UAN passbook of both the old account and new account Pension contribution was 0 as shown in the image below. What happened to my EPS during the transfer? Did I not fill some form? Did I lose the amount?

As explained in our article What happens to EPS when you transfer your old EPF to new employer  EPS or Employee Pension Scheme is used for the pension after 50 years of age. Pension from EPS depends on the length of service detail and that is all EPS needs to decide the Pension. The Service history information is captured in View->Service Details section of the UAN. Hence they don’t worry about EPS. But it would be good if they could show the transferred amount of EPS.

Transfer of EPF account to new employer passbook

After Rejoining the same organization no work history of the earlier stint 

After EPF Transfer, if one rejoins the organization then the Date of Joining is shown as the new Date of joining. The EPF partial withdrawal is based on the number of years after joining again. The number of years of having worked in the organization is not available.  When EPF grievance is raised we get a copy of ledger card which does show the old details along with the new one.

PAN Verification Failure in EPF: Reasons,Update

Many people who have KYC approved for PAN and Aadhaar are facing PAN verification failure. After PAN verification failure one cannot apply for EPF partial/full withdrawal online. The only way is to go apply to EPF offline.

Questions that an employee has are:

• Is PAN Verification necessary if one has worked for more than 5 years?
• If PAN Verification fails then does TDS get deducted at 33%?
• What does PAN verification verify – The name, Gender, Father’s name?
• How can one find the reason for PAN verification failure?

Workarounds after PAN Verification Failure

The workarounds after PAN Verification Failure is to match your name, gender details in UAN site with that of Income Tax Department. If you look at PAN Card you will not be able to see the Gender. But if you log in to the income tax website and go to Profile->Pan Details you will the Gender as shown in the image below.

Gender Details in PAN

• Get the Name, Gender updated in PAN
  • The online method for Correcting PAN
    • Visit NSDL Online by going to https://www.onlineservices.nsdl.com/paam/endUserRegisterContact.html
    • Select ‘PAN correction’ option from the ‘application type’ drop-down, and fill out your personal details.
  • Offline method
    • To make corrections in the PAN offline, re-issuance or surrender, an individual needs to submit the PAN correction form with the nearest NSDL collection centre and also file a letter with the jurisdictional Assessing Officer.
    • Click here to download the form. The fields in this form are similar to the online form.
• Get the Name, Gender Updated in UAN website.
  • Submit the Joint declaration. Changing the personal details in the EPF account should be done jointly by you and your employer. There is a prescribed format for this application. The sample form of the correction in EPF details is shown in the image below.

  • 

    EPF Change details form

• If names and gender match and you cannot understand the reason then Submit the request through EPF grievance website. Our article How to register EPF complaint at EPF Grievance website online explains it in detail.

How EPFO has Improved

Over the past few years, EPFO has ushered in multiple reforms, both in its internal functioning and in its dealings with key stakeholders, the employers and employees. UAN effectively digitised most EPF activities for the employees. Employees could merge all their accounts under a single umbrella, make online applications for EPFO services, apply for claims and transfer EPF balances from one account to another online without the intervention of employers, and most importantly, view the passbook online.

The EPFO focussed on the digital with the following initiatives:

• Issue of UAN
• Online PF settlements
• Online linking of Universal Account Number (UAN) with Aadhaar of employees
•  EPFO integrated with new mobile application, UMANG
• Auto transfer of PF account on change of employment (Still to be done)

For exempted trusts

A simple monthly reporting of performance evaluation of private provident fund trusts, which scores and ranks trusts over six compliance parameters, is a good idea that ensures provident fund compliance remains a strong focus area of every employer and employee interests are well protected. Online monthly PF returns for private trusts

Moving on, the EPFO needs to continue on this journey of progressive reforms and some of the suggestions for the EPFO  will be:

• Monitor ease of withdrawals for subscribers
• Quick resolution of PF related litigation
• Training and awareness amongst EPFO workforce, officers and staff alike
• Clarity in regulations for ease of implementation
• An annual audit using digital technology, to provide comfort to both employers and employees
• Seek feedback from subscribers or beneficiaries.

If you have any complaint about EPF, UAN website or you want to share do leave a comment.