A UAN (Universal Account Number) is like a digital ID card given by EPFO (Employee Provident Fund Organization) to working individuals. It's a 12-digit number that stays the same throughout your career. Whenever you switch jobs, you get a new PF (Provident Fund) account number, but all of these are tied to your one UAN. Think of it as a hub that holds all your PF accounts together. With your UAN, you can easily keep track of your EPF contributions, check your balance, and even move or withdraw funds from your PF account online. It's a convenient way to manage your retirement savings hassle-free.
Keep reading to learn how to get and activate your UAN, advantages of UAN for employees, UAN helpdesk and more.
EPFO stands for Employees' Provident Fund Organisation. It's a group that helps the Central Board of Trustees, a team set up by the Employees' Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1952. EPFO's job is to manage the Employees' Provident Fund Scheme, the Employees' Pension Scheme, and the Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme for workers in India's organized sector. It makes sure that these schemes give social security benefits to the members. EPFO's goal is to protect employees' interests and make sure they get their benefits when they retire or if something unexpected happens.
Once your UAN is activated, you can log in to the UAN Member e-SEWA Portal and use various services like viewing your UAN card, profile, and service history. Here's how to log in to the EPFO member portal:
When someone starts working for the first time, if the company has 20 or more employees, the employer needs to get a UAN for them. If the employee already has a UAN from a previous job, they need to give it to the new employer. Here's what the employer has to do to get a new UAN for the employee:
If an employee already has a UAN from a previous employer and the current employer requests a new UAN from EPFO, EPFO will provide the existing UAN of the employee instead of generating a new one. However, this will only occur if the employee had linked their UAN with their Aadhaar card.
Before you can use any online services related to EPF on the EPFO portal, you need to register or activate your UAN. Without activation, you won't be able to access any online facilities provided by EPFO. Here are the steps you need to follow for UAN activation/registration:
To activate your UAN, follow these steps:
For a safe UAN registration, you need to provide the following documents:-
Here are some benefits of UAN for both employees and employers:
When employees change companies, they can either withdraw or transfer their funds. But because the process used to be so complicated, many people didn’t use their PF. With the introduction of UAN, the process has become easier in the following ways:
Ans. The UAN card displays the universal account number and KYC details (if verified by the employer) on the front side. On the back side, it shows the five most recent member IDs and EPFO helpdesk contact numbers.
Ans. You can retrieve your UAN if you have linked the same with your Aadhaar card or PAN Card. Go to EPFO homepage>For Employees>Member UAN/Online Service>Know UAN status>Enter Details> Request OTP>Enter OTP>Enter Details>Click on Show My UAN.
Ans. Once your current EPF account is linked with your UAN, you can easily link all your old EPF accounts online. Additionally, you can check the status of transfer requests as well.
Ans. It generally takes around 3 to 5 days for the related documents to be viewed and approved. If your UAN KYC is pending for more than 7-8 days, you can file a complaint or contact the regional EPFO officer through the help desk online or by calling 1800 118 005 or 14470 (toll-free).
Ans. If you need to change your father’s name, your name, or your date of birth, you can do so by providing valid documents to your current employer. You can also communicate these changes to the EPFO helpdesk to update the information on your UAN card.
Ans. There are various methods to link Aadhaar with UAN. You can use the Umang App, biometric credentials on the e-KYC Portal, or OTP verification on the e-KYC Portal of EPFO to link your Aadhaar.
Ans. In this case, the employee needs to inform the EPFO helpdesk right away. After completing all the necessary verifications, the old UAN will be blocked.
Ans. When you switch jobs, you should provide your UAN to your new employer. The new employer then links your new PF account to it. Your UAN stays the same for your entire career.