Insights on EPS Filing, PF Withdrawal, and Turnaround Time for Claim Settlement

Dear All,

I received my PF amount in December 2010 from my previous employer, and as per the rules, I have filed Form 19 (PF) as well as Form 10C for EPS withdrawal.

The issue at hand is that my previous employer has stated that the EPS claim may take 10-12 months. I would like to know the exact Turnaround Time (TAT) according to the EPS Act. Specifically, how many days does it take for the EPS amount to be credited to the employee's account after the employee receives the PF amount?

Thank you in advance for all your replies.

Thanks and Regards,
Ravi Kumar

Dear All,

I received my PF amount in December 2010 from my previous employer, and as per the rules, I have filed Form 19 (PF) and also Form 10C for EPS withdrawal.

The issue at hand is that my previous employer has stated that the EPS claim may take 10 to 12 months. I would like to know the exact Turnaround Time (TAT) as per the EPS Act. How many days does it take for the EPS to be credited to the employee's account after the employee has received the PF amount?

Thank you in advance for all your replies.

Thanks and Regards,
Ravi Kumar

If you have filed Form 10C after having worked for 10 years (9 years and six months, at least), you will not get the EPS back in lump sum but as a pension on your attaining the age of 58. On the other hand, if you had filed it for withdrawal benefit only, you will get it soon since you have already received the PF portion. In any case, as advised by your employer, it will not take 10 to 12 months. To know the status of your application, please visit the website of EPFO, preferably of your region.

Regards,
Madhu.T.K

Not sure whether PF authorities have set any TAT. And even if they have set one, hardly do they follow it, and obviously, there is no accountability or penalty for not adhering to TAT.

Some cases get settled within a reasonable time of 2-3 months, but many cases get delayed for months due to various reasons and excuses. With PF being a government department, what else can you expect?

A particular case may get stuck, and unless you inquire and dig into it, it may not move forward. PF Departments are notorious for not communicating anything. They will simply keep your form aside if it is incomplete or if some information is not provided by the employer. You get to know about this only if you follow up.

So, if you want your PF settled fast, go there and vigorously follow up and have patience.

Dear Sir,

After submitting the PF withdrawal forms, it will take 2-3 months as our friends mentioned above. Contact your previous employer, or else you can inquire with the PF office.

Thank you,
Anu

After PF form submission in PF Govt Office, it will take 45 days for crediting. After 60 days of the job termination date, you can fill up the form and submit it to the PF office. Your working period should be more than 6 months to fill out the form 10C.

Dear Mr. Ravi,

The time limit for settlement of a claim by PF Offices is 30 days statutorily if the claim forms are in order. In your case, since you have received the PF amount, the Form 10-C should have also been settled by now. However, if your service period is more than 10 years, the P.F office will issue a scheme certificate; otherwise, it will have to be settled within 30 days.

If 30 days have elapsed, you may seek a remedy by filing a complaint in the competent consumer forum.

Thank you to one and all for your replies.

As per my previous employer, I received the acknowledgement of submitting my Form 10C for claiming the EPS at the Government EPF office on March 30, 2011. Now, on the EPFO site, I am able to see the status as follows:

Status: CLAIM FORM 10C FOR WITHDRAWAL BENEFIT/SCHEME CERTIFICATE FOR MEMBER HAS BEEN RECEIVED ON May 7, 2011, IS UNDER PROCESS.

Hence, from May 7, 2011, it may take 2-3 months to get the amount credited to my account if there are no issues and the form gets processed successfully.

Right!

Issue: I worked in Hyderabad, but my employer's head office is in Mumbai Bandra. Now, can I check the status or follow up on my claim status at the Hyderabad EPFO office for the EPF account held in the Mumbai Bandra PF office? I visited the Hyderabad EPF office, and the officer there informed me to visit the Bandra Branch for details regarding the Mumbai branches. Hence, they will not provide any information about the Mumbai branches. I cannot go to Mumbai for this work, especially. If there are any alternatives, please let me know.

Thanks & Regards,
Ravi Kumar

You should know your PF Account No.

In case you want to withdraw your PF, download Form No. 19 from any PF website. The form is the same throughout India. Fill it out and send it to your employer in Mumbai. The employer will certify the form and send it to the Mumbai PF Office for settlement.

First, follow up with your employer, then with the PF Office if needed.

You need not visit the PF office. Make use of the phone, email, or post.