Know These Important Things and Follow These Steps At All Times.
Are you a Provident Fund subscriber? If you’re not sure then it’s best to check with your employer. Chances are that you already are enrolled under the PF scheme if you’re employed. You must already be getting SMS alerts about monthly PF deductions from your salary.
In fact, if you can check your PF balance and get to know if you’re a PF subscriber by checking your payslips; a UAN number is always allotted to a PF subscriber.
Now for the important part — what are you here, reading this?
PF, you see, is a savings scheme that is modulated by the Government of India. Every employer in the country must mandatorily redirect a certain percentage of your Basic and DA towards Provident Fund. Of course, this means a lower in-hand salary for you, but it also means your hard-earned money is being saved.
It’s not just you who contributes towards your PF fund; the employer to matches your contribution. What’s more, you earn interest on the money saved. All in all, a significant sum is tucked away safely which you can utilize in times of emergencies like unemployment or when you retire.
When you do want to withdraw your PF funds, you can do so by raising a claim online on the EPFO portal. The offline PF withdrawal avenue is also open to you for which you have to get in touch with your employer and submit certain forms.
Sounds simple, right? It surely is; as long as your basic details like Name, Date of Birth, PAN, etc., are correct. The Government of India and the EPFO have made it so to ensure that the funds reach the subscriber (or their listed dependants).
If you have been struggling to encash your PF dues because of incorrect credentials then you needn’t worry because you can get them corrected. It might take some time because the corrections need to be processed and validated. The information and corrections travel back and forth between the EPFO and the employer. But when it’s all said and done, you can eventually claim your dues.
You’ll learn everything about modifying your PF details below. Here’s a quick roundup of the key takeaways from this guide.
Why is It Important to Have Correct PF Credentials?
So that you can withdraw your PF funds, the EPFO has mandated the correct credentials. But that’s not all. This move, which the PF subscribers find complex and unnecessary, has been done in order to protect the subscriber’s funds from falling into the wrong hands.
You wouldn’t want that, now would you? After all, it’s your hard-earned money. Your PF is a financial safety net that eases your burden and that of your nominees in times of crisis.
In reality, the process was well-defined before 2021. However, the EPFO noticed that changes were being made to several credentials, like the subscriber’s name and profile, to illegally withdraw funds. It was a clear case of fraud. That is why the EPFO came up with new guidelines and categorised the changes into minor and major changes.
You May Like to Read: How to Update your EPF Nominee Details Online?
Major Corrections
Anything not listed below (under minor correction)
Minor Corrections
- Correction of female subscriber’s surname after marriage. For instance, Alice Sharma to Alice Rai.
- Insertion of father’s or husband’s name as a middle name in Aadhaar. For instance, Alice Sharma, D/O, or W/O Jones Sharma, can be corrected to Alice Jones Sharma.
- Expanding the surname or name, or vice-versa, without changing the first letter of the name or its pronunciation. For instance, Alice Sharma to Alice S. (or Alice S. to Alice Sharma) is allowed. Changing it to something like Beth Sharma or Beth S. isn’t.
Changing Credentials Online: Here’s How to Do It
If you are registered on the EPFO portal, you need to log in with your UAN and password first to make changes online.
What can be Changed Online?
After logging in, you can navigate to ‘Manage’ at the top of the page and change your Basic Details and Contact Details.
Under Basic Details, you can change your Name, Date of Birth, and Gender.
Under Contact Details, you can change Your aadhaar-linked Mobile Number and E-mail ID.
How to Modify Basic Details?
The following are the steps you need to follow to make corrections to your Basic Details.
Step 1: Log into the EPFO portal
Step 2: Navigate to ‘Manage’ and click on ‘Basic Details’
Step 3: In the third column i.e. Changes requested, enter Name, Date of Birth, and Gender
Note: Details you wish you change must match your Aadhaar Card details.
Step 4: Give consent by ticking the checkbox
Step 5: Click on Update
After Step 5, the request will reach your employer who must approve it. Although they will be alerted, it’s advised to inform them about your request. Finally, the EPFO (after receiving consent from your employer) will either approve or reject your request.
How to Modify Contact Details?
Follow the instructions below to change contact details.
Step 1: Log into the EPFO portal
Step 2: Navigate to ‘Manage’ and click on ‘Contact Details
Step 3: To change your mobile number, tick the Change Mobile Number checkbox
Step 3.1: Enter the new mobile number and re-enter it just below
Step 3.2: Click on Get Mobile OTP button
Step 3.3: Enter the OTP (which you will receive on your newly entered mobile number), authenticate, and submit to get your number changed
Step 4: To correct the email ID, tick the Change E-mail ID checkbox
Step 4.1: Enter the new E-mail ID and re-enter it just below
Step 4.2: Click on Get Authorization PIN button
Step 4.3: Enter the OTP (which you will receive on your newly entered E-mail ID) in the blank field labeled ‘Enter Pin Number’ and click on Save Changes to get your E-mail changed
Changing Details Offline: Things You Should Know About
What if you never registered on the EPFO portal? In that case, you can change your PF credentials by filling out a form, also known as the Joint Declaration Form which is forwarded to the Regional PF Commissioner.
What can be changed with the Offline Form?
With the offline Joint Declaration Form, you can change:
- Name
- Father/Husband’s Name
- EPS/PF Account Number
- Date of Birth
- Date of Joining (service under the current employer)
- Date of Leaving (service under the current employer)
What are the Steps Involved when Changing (or Correcting) Details Offline?
Here are the steps you need to follow.
Step 1: Fill out the date on the right top-hand corner
Step 2: In the first blank, mention your name [the correct/new name]
Step 3: In the second blank, mention your current employer
Step 4: In the table, under the ‘Correct’ column, enter the correct or new information for every field i.e. Name, Father/Husband’s Name, EPS/PF Account Number, Date of Birth, Date of Joining, Date of Leaving
Note: For every correction, you want to make under each field, both ‘Correct’ and ‘Wrong’ information should be entered. Information you do not wish to correct or change should be left blank
Step 5: Write your name and sign the form next to ‘Name and Signature of Applicant’
Step 6: Next to ‘Name of Authorized Signatory’ someone from your company who overlooks such matters should sign and stamp
Step 7: The final, filled-out form should then be submitted to the Regional PF Commissioner (your employer should be able to help you with this)
Note: Along with the form, you should also attach any of the following proof of identification for reference: PAN, Aadhaar, Voter ID, Driving License, or Passport. For more information about any additional documents or letters, please reach out to your employer.
That’s just about it. By following the steps mentioned above, you can make changes, both online and offline. Keep in mind that just changing details for your PF account isn’t enough. First, you must always update your documents and proof of identification such as Aadhaar, PAN, birth certificate, and so on.
For any changes you make to your original documents, always remember to follow legal protocols, and do collect official receipts or documents that corroborate the information.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who approves or rejects any major or minor corrections made to PF credentials?
As mentioned before, corrections are of two types, minor and major. In the case of the former, the competent authority is the Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner (APFC) or the Regional Provident Fund Commissioner (RPFC) II [Officer In-charge].
2. Can major corrections be processed online?
Any major corrections online cannot be done until legitimate documentation is processed. This also includes employers providing an explanation, and the RPFC I/RPFC II(OIC) determining the genuineness of the case.
3. What happens if an employer or establishment is no longer operational?
In that case, if a signature from the employer isn’t available or the establishment has shut down, the authority figure who will attest to the Joint Declaration Form will be someone who is one of the prescribed authorities. Moreover, corrections will only go through once all the documents related to employment and the identity of the employee are duly processed and verified.
4. Which documents should a subscriber produce for a closed establishment?
If the establishment is no longer operating the subscriber may have to produce proof such as a letter of appointment, PF slips, payslips, increment order, or anything else deemed necessary by the EPFO authorities. The Enforcement officer(EO)/Accounts Officer(AO) may also conduct their own verification.
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