It’s always a good habit to save a certain part of your income to help you prepare and plan for the future. Presently, there are numerous ways to invest your savings to get good returns and secure a better future. Investment in provident funds is one of the most common ways to invest funds. It helps you into a habit of saving, which will help you lead a secure, retired life.
A Provident fund is an investment fund where both employer/ government and employee contribute a certain sum of money for the employee's benefit. It is also a legal obligation for the employer to contribute if it falls under the government's conditions.
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In this article, we are going to discuss the following:
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Latest update: For the Financial year 2020-21, the applicable interest rate on EPF contribution is 8.50%.
Universal Account Number or UAN
- EPFO (Employee’s Provident Fund Organization) maintains the account of all the provident fund investments and gives a unique 12 digit number called Universal Account Number (UAN) for such accounts.
- EPF UAN is given by EPFO and confirmed by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India. Universal Account Number (UAN) is given to all the members of EPFO. It is an identification number for the members of the provident fund.
- It will not change even if the employee switches from one job to another job. It remains the same throughout the employee's life irrespective of the several jobs he/ she switches.
- EPFO allows a new member identification number or EPF Account (ID) whenever an employee switches from one job to another. This new member identification number or EPF Account (ID) will be linked to UAN.
- Employees can get a new member ID by making a request and submitting UAN to his/ her new employer. Once the member ID is created, it gets linked to the EPF UAN of the employee.
- All the member IDs allotted by different employers are linked to the EPF UAN of the employee to simplify EPF withdrawals and transfers. The services provided by EPFO can be accessed online using the EPF portal.
Also Read: UAN Status, Passbook And Account Balance
How to know UAN Number For EPF
There are two ways to check your Universal Account Number (UAN). These are-
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Through employer
You may get to know your UAN by requesting your employer because your employer allots UAN as per EPFO. Some employers also print UAN numbers in salary slips.
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Through EPF member portal
If you cannot obtain your Universal Account Number (UAN) through your employer, there is another route to check your UAN through the UAN portal. You need to follow the following steps:
- Step 1- Go to EPF member Portal by clicking on the link https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/memberinterface/.
- Step 2- Click on the tab ‘Know your UAN status.
- Step 3- Enter your mobile number, captcha, and click on the ‘request OTP’. An OTP will then be sent to your mobile. Then, proceed to the next step.
- Step 4- Then enter some basic details as required, such as your PF number/member ID, name, mobile no, date of birth, and captcha code. You can get the PF number/member ID from your salary slip. Click on the button ‘Get Authorization Pin’.
- Step 5- A PIN will be sent to your mobile number. Enter the PIN and click on the ‘Validate OTP and get UAN’ tab.
- Step 6- You will receive your Universal Account Number on your mobile number.
How to activate and login to the EPFO website using UAN
Your Universal Account Number and PF member ID will be needed to activate your Universal Account Number (UAN). You need to follow the below-mentioned steps for your EPF UAN activation on the EPF member portal:
- Step 1- Go to the EPFO homepage https://epfindia.gov.in/site_en/ and click on ‘For employees’ under the ‘Services’ tab on the dashboard.
- Step 2- In the service section, click on ‘Member UAN/Online services’. You will reach the UAN portal.
- Step 3- Enter your Universal Account Number, member Id, aadhar number, PAN, email id, and mobile number. Then, enter the captcha and click on the ‘Get Authorization Pin’ button. A PIN will be sent to your registered mobile number.
- Step 4- Click on ‘I Agree’ under the disclaimer checkbox and enter the OTP and click on ‘Validate OTP and Activate UAN’.
On activation of your UAN, you will get a password on your registered mobile number to access your account.
Also Read: Salary Calculator 2020-21 – Take Home Salary Calculator India
Features & benefits of UAN EPF
Some of the features of UAN EPF are mentioned below-
- It helps to centralize employee data to one single unified account.
- It assists the EPFO in tracking the job switches of every employee.
- EPFO will have updated information regarding the current as well as previous employment of a person.
- It reduces the burden of employee verification by companies and of employers by EPF organizations.
- The bank account details and KYC of the member can be extracted from the account without the employer's help.
Advantages of UAN to employees
As an employee, there are various benefits when you have a Universal Account Number (UAN). Some of those are as follows:
- You can check your EPF UAN balance by simply logging into your account online.
- UAN eases the process of EPF transfers and withdrawals. You can easily transfer funds and withdraw (fully or partially) from your EPF account. One must note that it is not mandatory to withdraw the entire accumulated amount from the EPF account. However, the account will not accrue any more interest after three months of not receiving any contributions.
- There is no need to change your UAN even if you change your job. So enabling you to enjoy a smooth and hassle-free transfer of funds from your PF account. You can transfer your funds yourself using UAN.
- Your employer cannot access or withhold your money. Hence, it safeguards your PF amount.
- You can instantly download PF statements by logging in using UAN, member ID, or SMS.
- Transfer funds from old to a new account can be done easily by the employees themselves.
- You can easily verify whether your employer is regularly depositing the amount in the PF account.
Documents required to open UAN
If you have a new job in a registered company, you need the following documents to create an EPF account.
- Bank Details: Account number, IFSC code, and branch name.
- ID proof: Any national identity card with affixed photograph such as driving license, passport, voter ID, Aadhaar card, etc.
- Address proof: Ration card, rental agreement, or any of the ID proof if your address is mentioned in there.
- PAN card: Your PAN should be linked to the UAN.
- Aadhaar card: It is mandatory as it is linked to your bank account and mobile number.
- ESIC card, if any.
How to check UAN status
To check UAN status, you need to follow the below-mentioned steps:
- Step 1- Visit the EPF member portal and click on the ‘For employees’ under the ‘Services’ tab on the dashboard.
- Step 2- Click on UAN Online Service (OCS/OTCP) in the ‘Services’ section.
- Step 3- Click on the link ‘Know your UAN status’ in the ‘Important Links’ section.
- Step 4- Either enter member ID or PAN or PF number or Aadhaar number and other basic details like name, date of birth, mobile number, and email ID. Then, enter captcha characters.
- Step5- Click on the button- “Get Authorization Pin”.
- Step 6- A PIN will be sent to your registered mobile number. Then, you will be required to validate the PIN by clicking on the button- ‘Validate OTP and get UAN’.
- Step 7- UAN number and status of UAN will be sent to your registered mobile number.
UAN Passbook
You can view your passbook online by registering on the unified member portal. It will take around 6 hours, and after that, you can view your passbook online through the portal. However, members of exempted establishments, settled and inoperative members, will not be able to avail of this facility.
Steps that you are required to follow to view your passbook online are as follows:
- Step 1- Go to the EPF member portal and click on the dashboard on ‘Services’. Under the ‘Services’ tab, click on ‘For employees’.
- Step 2- Click on ‘Member Passbook’ in the ‘Services’ section.
- Step 3- Then enter your User Name and password to access your account.
You can also avail of EPFO services by using an app that can be downloaded from the google play store, app store, or UMANG website. UMANG stands for ‘Unified Mobile App for New Governance’.
Registering for UAN e- Passbook
To register for the e-passbook facility, you need to activate your UAN first. You can activate UAN by following the steps mentioned above in this article. After three working days, you will be able to download the e- passbook. Just click on the ‘Download passbook on the portal to access your e- passbook.
Checking your account balance
You can check your PF account balance without your employer's help by logging in to the EPFO portal or sending an SMS to 7738299899 from the registered mobile number or by giving a missed call or using the UMANG app. Also Read: What is Digital Khata?
How to link Aadhaar with PF and UAN
You can link your aadhaar with UAN and PF through online or offline mode. It is not compulsory anymore to link your Provident Fund account with an aadhaar. However, it is advisable to link it with your UAN for faster withdrawal and transfer services and record the account.
For linking the PF to Aadhaar, an employee needs to follow the steps mentioned below:
- Linking of Aadhaar with PF account through online mode
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- Step 1- Login to the EPF member portal (https://unifiedportal.epfindia.gov.in/) and click on ‘For Employees’ under the ‘Services’ tab.
- Step 2- Click on ‘UAN Member e-Sewa.’
- Step 3- Login to the portal using your UAN and password
- Step 4- Click on the top panel on ‘Manage’ followed by KYC.
- Step 5- Fill in your bank details, PAN, Aadhaar, passport, driving license, and ration card details under the ‘Add KYC tab’. Then click on the ‘submit button. You can find these details after submission under the ‘Pending KYC’ tab. After it got approved by the employer, it will appear under the ‘Approved KYC’ tab.
- Linking of Aadhaar with PF account through offline mode
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- Linking of Provident Fund account can also be done through offline mode. The employee will have to make an application to EPFO by filling an application form specifying the details along with self-attested copies of the documents such as UAN, Aadhaar number, PAN, identity card, driving license, and other details as may be required and submit it at the offices of EPFO or Common Services Centres (CSC).
- EPFO officers will verify the particulars and documents, and after completion of verification by EPFO officers, the Aadhaar will be linked to the Provident Fund account. The employee will receive the message of completion of the process on his registered mobile number.
Conclusion
This article is to help you understand everything about EPF UAN. We hope this article will be useful for you to understand the whole concept of UAN. The steps, and ways to know your UAN, process of EPF UAN registration and activation. Also, the documents needed to open UAN, ways to view your UAN passbook, steps to check your provident fund balance online and ways to link your aadhaar with PF and UAN.
