Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) is a government-backed retirement scheme where every public and private sector employee contributes a percentage of their salary on a monthly basis. Even the employer makes an equal contribution to the individual employees’ EPF accounts.
These funds can be withdrawn by the employee at the time of retirement, when the employee is unfit to continue working, or when he/she has left a job. Form 19 must be duly filled and submitted when you are looking to withdraw the EPF account balance in specified cases.
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In case the employee’s PF contribution was deducted but not deposited by the employer, it will not be allowed as a deduction for the employer.
When can you use Form 19?
Form 19 must be used when you wish to withdraw EPF funds in the form of the final settlement. In addition, the form can also be used to withdraw pension benefits and to get a PF non-refundable advance. The first two options can be put to use at the time of leaving employment for the sake of retirement or even otherwise. However, the last option can only be used during service when a certain set of conditions are fulfilled.
It must be filed at least two months after the job is left.
How Does Form 19 Look?
EPF Form 19 consists of two pages where the first page includes various fields to collect your personal and contact information, and the preferred mode of payment. The fields include:
- Name, father’s/husband’s name, and date of birth
- Name and address of the factory/establishment
- PF account number and/or Universal Account Number (UAN)
- Date of leaving the service and reason for leaving
- Permanent Account Number (PAN)
- Full postal address
- Mode of payment – Money order on your expense, account payee cheque, or electronic mode of payment
The second page is the advance stamped receipt which is to be filled only if you choose cheque as the mode of payment along with a revenue stamp of Rs.1. Here is an image to show how page 1 of the form looks.
Page 2 of the form looks like the image below:
EPF Form 19 Download
You can download EPF Form 19 here - https://www.epfindia.gov.in/site_docs/PDFs/Downloads_PDFs/Form19.pdf
How to Fill Form 19 Online?
Step 1: Visit the EPF Member portal at https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/memberinterface/.
Step 2: Enter the UAN, password, and captcha to sign in to the portal.
Step 3: Under the ‘Online Services’ section, select ‘Claim Form – 31, 19, 10C & 10D’.
Step 4: On Form 31, 19, 10C & 10D page, you will see an auto-filled form with your name, father/husband name, date of birth, contact number, KYC details, and service details as shown in the image below.
Step 5: Verify your bank account details and enter the last four digits of your bank account number in the text box. Click on the ‘Verify’ button for the software to verify if you are the authorised owner of the account.
Step 6: Upon successful verification, enter the details such as Date of Ending (DOE) EPF and EPS accounts. Also, specify the reason for leaving.
Step 7: Select ‘Yes’ for signing the ‘Certificate of Undertaking’.
Step 8: For the field with the label ‘I want to apply for’, choose the ‘Only PF Withdrawal (Form 19)’ from the drop-down menu.
Step 9: Enter the full postal address, select the disclaimer, and click on ‘Get Aadhaar OTP’.
Step 10: An OTP will be sent to the registered mobile number. Enter the OTP at the relevant field.
Step 11: Submit the application.
Step 12: A reference number will be displayed upon successful submission.
Step 13: The PF amount withdrawn will be deposited to your bank account that is linked with the UAN.
What are the pre-requisites for filing Form 19?
Before you apply for withdrawal with Form 19, you must be ready with the following pre-requisites:
- Activate your UAN on the EPF Member portal.
- Link your UAN with your bank account as well as PAN.
- Link your mobile number with UAN.
- Check if you are eligible for final settlement. If you are not, the form will not be displayed.
- The form can be filled only after two months of leaving the job or on retirement.
- Providing a mobile number is mandatory for final settlement.
- PAN is mandatory for claiming final settlement.
Withdrawing EPF Funds Offline—Composite Claim Form
The composite claim form is a combination of Form 19, Form 31, Form 10C, and Form 10D. You have to fill Form 19 for final settlement, Form 31 for partial EPF withdrawal, Form 10C for pension withdrawal, and Form 10D for withdrawal of monthly pension.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How long would it take for the EPF balance to get credited to my bank account after submitting Form 19?
The EPF balance will be credited to your bank account within 20 days from the date of submission of Form 19.
What should I do if the money is not credited within the said time period?
You can report the matter to the Regional Provident Fund Commissioner who handles grievances. Alternatively, you can file a complaint on the EPF website using the ‘EPFiGMS’ feature under ‘For Employees’ tab.
Should I get my employer’s consent to withdraw EPF funds?
No, if your UAN is active and KYC procedure is done, your employer’s attestation/consent is not required to withdraw EPF funds.
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