Provident fund (EPF): check, withdraw, and fix problems
How your EPF account works, when you can withdraw part or all of it under the 2026 Scheme, and what to do if PF was deducted but not deposited.
In short
- Check your PF passbook every few months on the EPFO member portal or the UMANG app. A missing month is easiest to recover early.
- While working, you can withdraw part of your PF for essential needs, housing or special circumstances, usually after 12 months of membership, keeping 25% in the account.
- Changing jobs? Transfer, do not withdraw. Your UAN stays the same for life.
- PF deducted from salary but not deposited is an offence. Complain to EPFO at epfigms.gov.in with your salary slips.
- Add an e-nomination today so your family is not stuck later.
Your salary slip shows a PF deduction every month. But is the money actually reaching your account? Can you take some out for a wedding or a hospital bill? What happens when you change jobs or lose one? This guide answers those questions in plain language.
The law that applies now
The Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 has been folded into Chapter III of the Code on Social Security, 2020, in force from 21 November 2025. The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) still runs the system. As of October 2026, a new Employees' Provident Funds Scheme, 2026 has been notified in place of the 1952 Scheme. Your balance, your Universal Account Number (UAN) and your interest all carry forward.
PF is compulsory in establishments with 20 or more employees. Smaller ones may join voluntarily.
How your PF account works
- Contributions. You and your employer each contribute 12% of your wages (10% in some notified establishments). Contributions are compulsory on wages up to ₹15,000 a month. Above that they are voluntary, unless your employer contributes on full wages.
- Pension share. Part of the employer's share goes to the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS), which can give you a monthly pension later. Your own 12% all goes to your PF.
- Interest. EPFO declares an interest rate every year and credits it to your account. Check your passbook for the latest credited rate.
- UAN. Your 12-digit UAN stays with you for life. Activate it on the member portal, link Aadhaar, PAN and bank account (this is called KYC), and give it to every new employer.
Withdrawing part of your PF while working
The 2026 Scheme simplified partial withdrawals (also called advances). The many old categories have been merged into three:
- Essential needs: illness, education, marriage.
- Housing needs: buying or building a home, repaying a home loan.
- Special circumstances.
The key rules: you generally need at least 12 months of membership; 25% of your balance must stay in the account so it keeps earning interest; you can withdraw from the remaining 75%, subject to limits for each category. Many claims are now settled automatically, with little or no paperwork, once your KYC is complete.
Withdrawing everything
You can take out your full balance, including the protected 25%, when you retire at 55 or later, become permanently unable to work, migrate abroad permanently, or are retrenched or take voluntary retirement under an agreed scheme. Women who resign on marriage also have special access.
If you simply leave a job, the government has clarified that you can withdraw up to 75% of your balance soon after leaving. The rest becomes available if you remain unemployed for 12 months. Pension (EPS) withdrawal, for those with less than ten years of service, is generally allowed only after 36 months.
If you are moving to a new job, transferring is usually wiser than withdrawing. Your savings keep earning interest, and your years of pension service add up towards the ten years needed for a monthly pension. Exact limits and waiting periods can change through EPFO circulars, so check the member portal before you apply.
Step by step: making a claim online
- Log in to the EPFO member portal with your UAN and password, or use the UMANG app.
- Check KYC. Aadhaar, PAN and bank account must be verified, and your name and date of birth must match Aadhaar.
- Check your exit date. For a final withdrawal or transfer, your previous employer must have marked your date of exit. If it has not, you may be able to mark it yourself online some time after leaving.
- File the claim under "Online Services". Choose withdrawal or transfer, the purpose, and the amount. Verify with the OTP sent to your Aadhaar-linked mobile.
- Track the status in the portal. If rejected, read the reason, fix it, and file again.
When something goes wrong
- PF deducted but not deposited. This is serious. Collect salary slips showing the deduction and your passbook showing the gap. Write to your employer, then complain to EPFO. Under the Code, failing to deposit deducted contributions is an offence, and EPFO can recover the money from the employer with damages and interest.
- Claim rejected or delayed. The common causes are a mismatch in name, date of birth or bank details, an unseeded Aadhaar, or a missing exit date. Many details can now be corrected online with Aadhaar verification; others need the employer to approve the correction.
- Employer has shut down or will not cooperate. EPFO can still process your claim with attestation by a bank manager or other authorised officer. Ask the regional office's help desk.
Pooja worked for a Ludhiana garment unit for three years. When she checked UMANG, her passbook showed no deposit for the last eight months, though every salary slip showed ₹1,800 deducted for PF. She wrote to the owner and got no reply. She then filed a grievance on epfigms.gov.in, attaching the slips and a passbook screenshot, and noted her grievance number. The EPFO regional office opened an inquiry, and the employer deposited the dues with interest. Pooja then transferred her account to her new employer.
Keep these ready
- Your UAN, and the mobile number linked to Aadhaar.
- Aadhaar, PAN, and a cancelled cheque or bank passbook (account in your own name).
- Salary slips showing PF deductions, especially for any missing months.
- Appointment and relieving letters (to prove dates of joining and exit).
- Screenshots of your passbook and of any rejected claim.
EPFO never asks for a fee, an OTP over a phone call, or your password to "release" your PF. Agents and fake "PF helpline" numbers on search results are a common fraud. Use only the official portal and app, and report any fraud call to 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in.
Where to go
- First: your employer's HR or accounts department, in writing.
- Online: the EPFO grievance system, epfigms.gov.in. Keep the grievance number.
- In person: the EPFO regional office for your employer's area (listed on epfindia.gov.in). Monthly "Nidhi Aapke Nikat" camps are also held for grievances.
- Then: pgportal.gov.in if the grievance is not resolved.
- Free legal help: 15100, your District Legal Services Authority, or a trade union.
Common questions
Can I withdraw my full PF immediately after leaving a job?
Not all of it. As of 2026 you can withdraw up to 75% of your balance soon after leaving, and the rest if you stay unemployed for 12 months. Full withdrawal is allowed on retirement at 55 or later, permanent incapacity, permanent migration abroad, and some other listed cases.
What should I do if my employer deducted PF but did not deposit it?
Collect your salary slips and passbook, write to the employer, and file a grievance on epfigms.gov.in or at the EPFO regional office. Not depositing deducted PF is an offence under the Code on Social Security, and EPFO can recover the dues with damages and interest.
Why was my PF claim rejected?
Usually because of a mismatch in name, date of birth or bank details, Aadhaar not linked, or the employer not marking your exit date. The rejection reason is shown on the portal. Fix the detail, online where possible or through your employer, and file again.
Should I withdraw or transfer PF when I change jobs?
Transfer, in most cases. Your money keeps earning interest, and your pension service keeps adding up towards the ten years needed for a monthly EPS pension. Give your existing UAN to the new employer so the account links.
This article is general information for awareness, not legal advice. For your situation, consult an advocate or call free legal aid at 15100.
