The Employee Provident Fund (EPF) is a scheme introduced by the Government of India to help salaried employees build financial support for when they retire. Both the employer and the employee contribute a sum to the employee’s PF as per the CTC. When planning long-term financial goals, keeping track of the EPF balance becomes essential. Fortunately, checking the balance in today’s digital era has become quick and convenient.
This guide will help you explore the methods to check your EPF balance online and offline, ensuring you can access your savings whenever possible.
What is EPF Balance?
The total amount of money saved in your EPF account, contributed by the employer and a fraction of your salary, along with interest. Here are some key points you should know before learning more about EPF:
- The interest rate for the financial year 2023-2024 is 8.25%, calculated monthly but deposited annually. The interest rate is declared after every financial year.
- While employers contribute 12% (8.33% goes to the Employee Pension Scheme Account and 3.67% to the employee’s EPF account), employees contribute 12% of their salary, and they can choose to make it 100%.
- If no transaction occurs in 36 months, the account will become inactive.
- EPF balance of up to ₹2.5 lakhs in a year remains tax-free.
How To Check EPF Balance?
Following are the several ways to check EPF balance offline and online:
EPFO Portal
If users are looking for an online mode, visiting the official EPFO website is one prime method. Employees can visit the official website of EPF India to check their PF balance or access the passbook. However, the UAN number must be activated.
Follow the following steps once your UAN is activated:
- Visit the official EPFO website, go to the ‘Services’ tab, and click ‘For Employees’.
- Next, click ‘Member Passbook’ under the ‘Services’ section.
- Login with the credentials (UAN, password and captcha details).
- From there, you can check your EPF balance and get access to the passbook.
UMANG App
UMANG is the new-gen online mobile application launched by the Government of India. It allows employees to check their PF balance, track their claims, and raise them at their fingertips. The application is available on the Play Store and the App Store. Here are the steps to check EPF balance via the UMANG app:
- Start by downloading the app from the Google Play Store or App Store.
- After choosing your preferred language, verify your EPF mobile number.
- Click on the ‘Services’ option at the bottom.
- In ‘All Sevices’, search and select the EPFO from a list of options.
- Go to the ‘View Passbook’ section.
- Enter the UAN and OTP and submit them afterwards.
- You’ll get your EPF passbook with the balance.
Missed Call Service
In the offline mode, employees can check the status of their EPF balance by making a missed call to 9966044425 from their registered mobile number.
To use the service, here are the following requirements:
- UAN must be activated.
- The mobile number should be registered with UAN.
- UAN must be linked with PAN, Aadhar or bank account.
When you click on the number, it will disconnect after two rings, and you’ll get the PF balance.
SMS Service
After activating the UAN, the employees can check their PF balance via SMS using the registered mobile number.
To check the PF balance through SMS, you have to:
- Send a text message to 7738299899 from the registered mobile number.
- The SMS format should be EPFOHO UAN HIN, where ‘HIN’ is the language code. The SMS facility is available in 10 languages:
- English (Default)
- Hindi (HIN)
- Bengali (BEN)
- Punjabi (PUN)
- Gujarati (GUJ)
- Marathi (MAR)
- Kannada (KAN)
- Telugu (TEL)
- Tamil (TAM)
- Malayalam (MAL)
- The SMS you’ll receive contains PF contributions, balance details, and available KYC information.
Check EPF Balance Without Registered Mobile Number
In case you don’t have access to the registered mobile number, you can still check the PF balance by following the below steps:
- Visit the PF Passbook official website.
- Login using your UAN and password.
- After that, click on the PF account you want to check.
- Proceed by clicking on ‘PF Passbook Old’.
- You can now check the status of your PF balance, including your employee and employer contributions.
If you can’t check the balance through online and offline mode, you can even contact your employer.
How To Withdraw EPF Balance?
If you are thinking of withdrawing your PF amount, here’s what you can do:
- Visit the UAN Portal and log in using your UAN and password.
- Click on the tab ‘Manage’ and select the ‘KYC’ option for the verification.
- After verification, go to the tab ‘Online Services’ and click on ‘Claim (Form – 31, 19, 10C and 10D).
- Next, you have to enter your bank account information and verify.
- To sign the certificate of undertaking, click on ‘Yes’ and then ‘Proceed for Online Claim’.
- Choose the type of claim, whether a full EPF settlement, EPF part withdrawal, or pension withdrawal.
- Select ‘PF Advance (Form 31)’ to withdraw the amount.
- Mention the purpose of the advance with the address and amount.
- Click the certificate and submit the application.
Points to Remember
To start with either checking the balance or withdrawal, make sure of the following points:
- UAN is linked with KYC details (Aadhar, PAN, or bank account).
- Always keep your UAN and password safe.
- Keep a check of the PF balance to make sure the contributions are being made correctly.
- Registered mobile number should be up to date to use services like SMS and missed calls to check the balance.
Conclusion
With multiple online (UMANG App and EPFO Portal) and offline (SMS and Missed Call) services, it has become easy for employees to check their PF balances whenever they want. Ensure that you keep an eye on your savings to be financially prepared for the future.
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