Every employee who contributes into Provident Fund account shall be issued a 12-digit Universal Account Number (UAN). UAN allows employees to access to their PF without much hassle. It is more important now that PF accounts can be managed online
Points covered in this article are
1. What is UAN?
2. Features of UAN
3. Know your UAN
4. How to activate UAN?
5. Documents required for UAN registration
6. Withdrawal of Provident Fund
7. Linking Aadhar with UAN
8. Advantages of UAN
1. What is UAN?
UAN or Universal Account Number is a 12-digit number issued by the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). It is mandatory for all PF holders. The UAN shall remain the same even if the employee changes different jobs.
2. Features of UAN
· It is a 12-digit number valid throughout the life of an employee
· UAN doesn’t change on changing jobs or employers
· It centralises employee data
· Access and transactions relating to PF are simplified with UAN
3. Know your UAN
Every employee with PF account is allocated with UAN. One can know his UAN through his employer or through UAN portal. An employer usually knows the UAN of employees allotted by the EPFO.
If the employer is unable to give the UAN, it can be known through UAN portal as follows:
1. Visit UAN portal https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/memberinterface/
2. Click on ‘know your UAN status’ and select your state, EPFO office and enter your PF number along with other information such as name, date of birth, phone number etc. After entering all the relevant information tap on the ‘get authorisation pin’ tab
3. The employee shall receive an OTP on the registered mobile number. This should be entered in the portal and validated
4. Once the OTP is validated, UAN shall be sent to the mobile number of the employee
4. Activation of UAN
Once the UAN is generated activation should be made in EPFO portal. The steps to activation are:
· Go to EPFO Website https://www.epfindia.gov.in
· Click on ‘our services’ tab and select ‘For employees’
· In the next step, select ‘Member UAN/ Online services’ and enter all the details required in the page such as UAN, Mobile number, member ID
· Enter the Captcha and click on ‘Get authorisation PIN’
· Then an OTP shall be sent to the registered mobile number of the employee. Enter the OTP and validate
· A password will be received on activation on your registered mobile number
· The employee can access to the PF account using the password so received
5. Documents required for UAN registration
· Aadhaar Card of the employee
· PAN Card
· Proof of address
· Identify proof
· Bank account details
· ESIC Card
6. Withdrawal of Provident funds
Before launching UAN, transfer/withdrawal of funds from one PF account to other was very difficult. With introduction of UAN, all PF accounts can be linked together. If an employee is changing jobs the same UAN shall be applicable
7. Linking Aadhaar with UAN
Aadhar details should be linked with the UAN. It can be done through many ways. One can use Umang App or register in e-KYC portal. OTP verification on e-KYC portal shall be one before linking Aadhar
8. Advantages of UAN
The purpose of introducing UAN was to make the access to PF account simplified and easier. Through this not only employees and employers are benefited but the EPFO shall be able to track the employees’ employment details and change in jobs.
Following are the benefits for the employee
1. Withdrawal of PF can be made easily through online
2. Employer need not interfere in managing the PF account of an employee
3. Employees shall be able to know the deposits made into their PF account and the deductions from their salary
4. When an employee changes jobs, PF account should be transferred from old one to new, this can be easily done using UAN
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What information does UAN have?
The UAN issued shall contain all the details of an employee including the KYC details. On the back side of the card, a five digit member ID and EPFO help desk number shall be mentioned
2. How long does it take for KYC verification?
It takes about 5-7 days to verify the documents and approval to be received. If it takes longer than a week, a complaint can be filed with the regional EPFO help desk online or through call
3. Can an employee check his UAN status online?
Yes. The employee can check the status of UAN through the EPFO portal by entering the EPFO account number and state
4. What should an employee do if wrong information has been recorded on the EPF card?
In case the details specified in the EPF card is wrong, it can be changed by submitting true and valid documents with the employer and communicating the same with the EPFO helpdesk
Watch this video to know details about PF portal