EPFO withdrawal: How to withdraw money from PF account without employer’s approval? Check process here

PF withdrawal, EPFO — Image Source : FILE PHOTO Representative image

EPF withdrawal: The Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) allows its members to withdraw money from the PF account whenever needed. The members can withdraw money for various important purposes such as buying a house, covering medical expenses or for children's education. Recently EPFO made several changes that have simplified the withdrawal process. In addition to this, the withdrawal limit from PF as an emergency fund has been increased from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh. Did you know that you can also withdraw money from your PF account without the approval of your employer? Here's how you can do it.

Documents required for PF withdrawal

To withdraw EPF amount, you have to provide the following documents:

Universal Account Number (UAN): Your unique identification number for EPF accounts.
Bank account information: Details of the bank account where the EPF amount will be transferred.
Proof of identity and address: Valid documents that confirm your identity and current address (such as Aadhaar card, passport or voter ID card).
Cancelled cheque: A cancelled cheque containing the IFSC code and account number to facilitate the transfer.

Here's process for withdrawing money

By submitting a claim online you can withdraw the money from your PF amount without the employer's signature. Once the claim is processed, the money will be credited to the bank account within 15 days. However, to do this, you will need an active Universal Account Number (UAN), updated KYC and a mobile number registered with your UAN. If these criteria are met, one can easily withdraw your EPF amount without requiring the company's approval or signature.

Visit the EPFO Member Portal unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/memberinterface
Log in using your UAN and password.
After login, select the ‘Manage’ tab and choose ‘KYC’ from the list. Verify if your KYC details, including Aadhaar, PAN, and bank information are up-to-date.
Navigate to the "Online Services" tab.
Select “Claim (Form-31, 19, 10C and 10D) from the dropdown menu.
Select the type of claim you wish to file (e.g., full withdrawal, partial withdrawal).
Enter your bank account details and other required information.
Verify the member details and submit the claim.
You will then receive a Certificate of Undertaking stating that the claimed amount will be deposited in this bank account by the EPFO. Click 'Yes' for the terms and conditions.
Proceed with the online claim. Choose the ‘Proceed for Online Claim’ option to advance to the next step in the claim process.
Now select type of claim you wish to file under the ‘I Want To Apply For’ tab. ( full EPF settlement, EPF partial withdrawal (loan or advance), or pension withdrawal).
Upload some documents like scanned cheque and Form 15G.
Once approved, the amount will be transferred to your bank account.