Keeping Track of Your Retirement Savings: A Guide to Checking Your EPF Balance

Keeping Track of Your Retirement Savings: A Guide to Checking Your EPF Balance

The Employee Provident Fund (EPF) is a social security scheme in India that helps you build a retirement corpus. Every month, a portion of your salary is deposited into your EPF account, accumulating savings for your golden years. But how do you stay informed about the amount accumulating in your account? This guide will explore various methods for conveniently checking your EPF balance.

Understanding Your EPF Balance

Your EPF balance reflects the total amount of your salary contributions deposited into your EPF account over time. This includes contributions from both you and your employer, typically amounting to 12% of your basic salary (including dearness allowance, if applicable). Remember, there are two components to your EPF:

• Employee's Contribution (12%): This entire portion goes into your EPF account.
• Employer's Contribution (12%): Out of the employer's contribution, 3.67% is credited to your EPF account, while the remaining 8.33% goes towards your Employee Pension Scheme (EPS).

Exploring Methods to Check Your EPF Balance

Here are several convenient ways to access your EPF balance:

1  EPFO Member Portal using UAN:

The Universal Account Number (UAN) acts as a single umbrella for managing your EPF across different employers. To check your balance using the EPFO portal:

•       Visit the EPFO member portal: https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/
•        Select "Know Your Balance" at the bottom of the page.
•        Choose your regional EPF office location.
•        Enter your PF account number and registered mobile number.
•        You'll receive an SMS notification with your EPF balance.

Alternatively, you can use your UAN credentials:

•       Visit https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/.
•        Enter your UAN and password.
•        Select your EPF state and city.
•        You will receive an SMS with your EPF balance.

2.      UMANG App:

Download and install the UMANG app on your smartphone to conveniently check your EPF balance on the go.

•       Open the UMANG app and select the EPFO option.
•        Choose "Employee Centric Services."
•        Click on "View Passbook."
•        Enter your UAN and the one-time password (OTP) sent to your registered mobile number.
•        Click on "Login" to view your EPF transactions, including deposits and withdrawals from current and previous employments.

3.      Missed Call Service:

For a quick and easy balance check, you can utilize the missed call service:

•        Simply give a missed call to 9966044425 from your mobile number registered with your UAN.
•        Ensure your Aadhaar card, PAN, and bank account number are linked to your UAN for this service to function.

4.      EPF Passbook Portal (Without Registered Mobile Number):

Even if your mobile number isn't registered, you can check your balance through the EPF Passbook Portal:

1. Go to the official website: https://passbook.epfindia.gov.in/MemberPassBook/Login
2. Sign in using your UAN and password.
3. Choose the PF account you wish to review.
4. Click on "View PF Passbook Old."
5. The screen will display your total employee and employer contributions.
6.  SMS Service:

UAN-activated employees can check their balance via SMS:

•        Send an SMS to 7738299899 with the text "EPFOHO UAN ENG". (Replace "ENG" with your choice of language code for receiving the details).
•        This service is available in Marathi, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Punjabi, and English.
•        Ensure your Aadhaar, PAN, and bank details are linked to your UAN for this service to work.

 Maximizing Your EPF

By regularly checking your EPF balance, you can stay informed about your retirement savings progress. Contributions to your EPF offer tax benefits under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act.