Many of salaried, especially the private sector employees usually change their job frequently. There are instances where employees change jobs within few months too. During such frequent changes, they usually forget either not withdraw or forget it to transfer. Such inoperative accounts now can be tracked online with a newly launched EPFO Service.
What is INOPERATIVE Account?
Latest news-Now from 1st April, 2016 you will get interest on even INOPERATIVE account. Refer the source of this news- Economic Times
Any EPFO Account which fails to make contributions for 36 continues months (3 Yrs) is called INOPERATIVE Account. Addition to this, if you applied for a withdrawal but due to wrong address, bank details or some other reasons you fail to claim the amount and laying with EPFO since 36 months (3 Yrs) from the date of it become payable are also classified as INOPERATIVE Accounts.
From April 2011, EPFO stopped paying interest to such inoperative accounts. However, such accounts can be either withdrawn or transferred to their existing EPF Accounts. According to information Rs.26, 496.61 Cr is lying in the inoperative EPF Accounts as on March 31st, 2014.
What is the reason for such huge amount pending?
Major reason is EPFO itself. All because of not adopting the online platform. Cumbersome process and lethargic attitude of officials made employees to forget about what they invested. In other cases, employees intentionally forget to either withdraw or transfer. Reasons are either frequent job change or considering the accumulated corpus as less. But it is advisable to either withdraw it or transfer all your old accounts to new existing account. You can use recently launched OTCP (Online Transfer Claim Portal) facility. Also recently EPFO started allotting UAN (Universal Account Number), through which you can track your accounts easily. This UAN combines all the Member Identification Numbers (Member ID) allotted to an individual during their earlier jobs. Once this UAN allotted to an employee then from now onward he just needs to quote this UAN whenever he changes job. The earlier EPF account will follow.
How to track such INOPERATIVE Accounts ONLINE?
Recently EPFO started online help desk to track such inoperative accounts. This help desk is provided to track your inoperative accounts by providing the minimum information of accounts. Below is the process to initiate the process.
1) Visit EPFO Home Page. Click on below shown link
2) This will bring you to another window of EPFO. Here you need to click on the tab which I showed in below image.
3) You land into a new window which is as below. You need to provide problem details like why and for what purpose your account lying idle. Then click on tab NEXT.
4) You will get below the screen. Here you need to provide as much information as possible. More information means more easy to find out the account. Notice that none of the fields are mandatory. But to be precise provide as much information as you know. Click on tab NEXT to proceed further.
5) In the next step you have to provide your personal details like Name, Mobile Number, Date of Birth (these three fields are mandatory), mail id, contact address and language of preference. Along with that you have to provide Aadhar No, PAN No, Bank Account No or IFSC code for KYC purpose. The screen looks like below. Click on Generate PIN to receive the PIN on your mobile.
6) You receive a PIN on your mobile and enter that number in the next step. The screen for entering PIN looks like below. Once this is done, then you receive an acknowledgement reference number to your mobile or it will display on an acknowledgement screen.
7) Then next step is to visit to login page of this helpdesk and login to it by providing reference just generated and your mobile number. The screen looks like below. This will bring to you to EPFO Helpdesk Dashboard.
What will be the next step?
Your query will be directed to the concerned field officer in Regional EPFO. They will assist you in locating the account. But if you don’t know the Establishment Code or PF number, then queries will be transferred to centralized helpdesk. They will call you to get further information and providing inputs to field officers. There is no time limit set for tracking account. But more information from the employee side makes it faster to locate.
You can check your status by visiting HERE.
Hope this information will solve many more problems.
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View Comments
Hi Basu,
I don’t find the link of Inoperative Account Helpdesk now in EPFO website. How can I get my old PF Account details? Please advise.
Regards,
Bikash Ghosh
Dear Bikash,
Please raise an issue with EPFO Grievance Cell Online.
Hello Sir,
I was having EPF contribution from 2004 to 2012, in 2012 I went onsite and stayed there for 5 years (so no UAN number generated), in between my company was taken over by another company. When I came back in 2017, as I was not having UAN, they generated a new UAN number (and a new EPF number not linked with older one) and started depositing money under that. I tried to follow up to link my old account to new one though company but didn't work.
As the old account is now inoperative, please let me know how we can link the old account with new one or withdraw the amount.
appreciate your help in advance.
Regards,
Alok
Dear Alok,
Request for the transfer through your current employer.
Hi Basu,
I worked for IT company and moved to onsite 3 years back. It has been 3 years since employer made any contribution to my PF account. What would the status of my account be ? Will the money in the account be forfeited ? I am still able to login and see the balance though with interest, so kind of confused with your post(this one) and recent one you made(where interest would be credited till 58Years of age). Thank you in advance.
Dear Jaimie,
Refer my post "Old Inactive EPF Account – Should you withdraw or continue?".
Awesome. I should have read between the lines. So i shouldn't worry as i haven't requested an withdrawal with wrong details and Neither does the 3 year non contributory period applies. I just want the money to gain as much compound interest as possible in it :)
Hello
I have a query regarding the activation of inoperative pf account. I dont need the entire pf balance at the moment. Will my pf account become active if I submit partial claim form. Will the interest be paid on the balance pf amount
Dear Kakali,
By requesting for partial withdrawal, the account will not be converted into active. The contributions are required.
Dear Sir
My PF account period till 2015. Is it possible to apply now against covid 19 claim..
Dear Parameswari,
Why you kept it idle?
Sir
My name is Trevor. I have an inoperative pf account. I left my job in 2012.Whenever I go to the for employees section there is no option of inoperative help desk. Kindly help.
Regards
Dear Trevor,
Why not raise an issue with EPFO Grievance Cell Online?
I already have applied online to withdraw my epf money from inoperative account and got a reference number to check the status but whenever i click on existing user button of inoprative helpdesk, a new window open saying found error. I tried 100 times getting same error,if login window is not opening how will i check the status?Please advice me... what to do?
Dear Kumar,
It seems a procedural error with website. You have to wait.
I left my job in 2017. I haven't yet started working again. Can my PF be safe with EPFO or do I withdraw it. Also recently I am not to login possibly it may have become invalid account. Earlier around Oct 2018 I was able to check EPFO balance updated with interest on Mar 2018.
Dear Srinivas,
Your money is safe and no need to worry. Regarding login issue, hard to predict what went wrong.
Thanks, so ideally I should still be able to login to EPFO, even though I left my job.
Dear Srinivas,
YES.
Hi ,
I was leaved my job in 2013 but on 07.10.18 i have submitted details in inoperative help desk but still I have not get any response how many days they want to reply. If they reply can i get amount on online claim.
Dear Babu,
Better to raise an issue with EPFO Grievance Cell Online.
Dear Sir,
My Father left the job in 2001, But PF was not withdrawn, Let me know how claim that fund
Dear Ashok,
Approach the regional EPFO.
There is no way to track this amount online.
Means i just want to know the figure lying with PF office before approaching them for settlement.
Dear Ashok,
Raise RTI application.