Ten FAQs Every Employee or Would Be Employee Should Know About Provident Fund Claim?

1) Is employee the only beneficiary of Fund?
Benefit will be paid to him/her and in his/her absence to his/her family.
2) What is meant by Family?
Family means employees' spouse and children below 25 years of age.
3) Suppose an employee does not have a Family and he/she dies before receiving benefit. Does his/her pension get lost?
No, if he/she does not have a family, benefits will be paid to his/her nominee, who will receive the benefit in his/her absence.
4) Suppose member has not nominated anyone.
The pension / ROC will be paid to the dependent parents.
5) Can member change his/her nomination?
He/She can change his/her nomination whenever he/she decides within the framework of rules for such nomination. In other words if he/she has a family, nomination should be in favour of a member(s) of the family. If he/she has no family he/she can nominate anyone he/she wishes.
6) How many years service is required to be eligible to receive member pension?
Minimum 10 years eligible service will entitle for member pension.
7) Employee is a member of Employees' Pension Scheme. He/She has left employment at 48 yrs. of age and 8 yrs. of service. When shall he/she receive his/her pension?
He / She can take either withdrawal benefit or can take scheme certificate so that the 8 years service can be added to any future service that he / she may put in, in any other covered establishment. By virtue of being a holder of a scheme certificate, if the member dies before 58 years widow / widower and children shall be entitled for pension.
7) What is nomination?
Every member has to give the details of himself & details of the nominee for Employees' Provident Fund & Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance Schemes and details of family for Employees Pension Scheme, 1995 in form no. 2.

A member if, is having a family can nominate any one or more persons to receive the Provident Fund on his death. In case of him having no family he can nominate any other person.

Family for the purpose of Employee Provident Fund Scheme'52 means wife/husband, children, whether married or unmarried, including adopted children, if adoption is recognized and dependant parents of member.

Employees Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme benefit will be paid to the nominee under Employees Provident Fund Scheme, 1952.

For the purpose of Employees Pension Scheme,1995 the member has to furnish the details, such as name, relationship & age of all the family members in the form no. 2. Family for the purpose of Employees Pension Scheme, 1995 means wife/husband & children. Whenever member wants to make a change in the nomination already made for Provident Fund, or to update the details of family for Employees Pension Scheme,1995, he has to send a revised form no. 2. The form no.2 is routed through the employer.
8 ) What is the procedure to be followed by the member if the employer is not attesting his claim forms?
It is the duty of the employer under the Act & Scheme to help Employees' Provident Fund organisation to settle the Provident Fund dues of his employees. He has to complete the prescribed application within 5 days of receipt [para72(5)] forms & hand over it to the member when he leaves the service. When a member finds difficult to get the form attested by the employer, he can get the attestation of any of the following officer & send to the Provident Fund office
1. Manager of a bank.
2. By any gazetted officer.
3. Member of the Central Board of Trustees./ committee/ Regional Committee (Employees'
Provident Fund Organization).
4. Magistrate/ Post/ Sub Post Master/ President of Village Panchayat/ Notary Public.
9) What is the time taken for disposal of the application in the Provident Fund office?

The claims received complete in all respects are disposed off within a maximum period of 30 days from the date of receipt of claims in the office. In case the member is not hearing anything about his application within 30 days, he can approach the Public Relation Officer.

10) What is the voluntary rate of Provident Fund contribution by the member?

As per the Act, the member has to contribute at the rate of 10% or 12% of his basic pay, D.A. & retaining allowance if any. In case the member wants to contribute more than this, voluntarily he can do so at any rate he desires. i.e. upto 100% of basic and D.A. But the employer is not bound to contribute at the enhanced rate.

[These are excerpts from EPFO site]

Relevant Readings

How To Check The Status of PF Claim With EPFO?


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