EPF tips: Changing jobs? Here's how to merge multiple EPF accounts in your UAN

The Universal Account Number (‘UAN’) is a unique 12-digit number that is given to each member of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO). Through the UAN, PF members can easily manage their accounts.

Ideally, a member should have only one UAN which can be used throughout their tenure.  Radhika Viswanathan, Executive Director, Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP, says, "If a member happens to change jobs, they must provide the earlier UAN to the new employer.  Further, the member has to request for transfer of the accumulations from the previous account to the current one.  Such requests can be made by logging onto the unified portal using the “One member -One EPF account (transfer request)” facility available under the online services tab.  The transfer request can be made to move balances from all previous accounts to the latest one."

Once the claim form is submitted, it goes to the employer selected for approval, after which it will go to the concerned field office. At the time of submitting the above-mentioned form, the employees will have to select the UAN/Member ID’s which are to be transferred,  previous or present employer who will have to attest the transfer claim and will have to complete the aadhaar based authentication process post which the claim form will be received by the field office of EPFO for approvals and further processing of the claim form.

It would normally take around 20 days from the date of the request to transfer the PF balance from one EPF account to the other.

Now, what happens to the EPF accounts which are created before UAN came into existence? "In cases of PF accounts which were created before the introduction of UAN and subsequently no UAN was generated for that account, the member must take the assistance of the previous employer to generate UAN for such old PF account. The employer, through their PF login portal, could generate UAN for these employees," said Radhika Viswanathan, Executive Director, Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP.

Once the UAN is generated for the old PF account, the transfer of balances/merging of accounts could be done using the abovementioned process.
 
It is pertinent to note that members should have an active UAN and that it is linked with Aadhaar and KYC (Know Your Customer) procedures are completed before initiating the above requests.