PF Form 19: Withdrawing Your Employee Provident Fund

PF Form 19: Withdrawing Your Employee Provident Fund

The Employees' Provident Fund Scheme (EPF) is a retirement savings program in India. When you work for a company in India, a portion of your salary goes into your EPF account, along with a matching contribution from your employer. If you leave your job or retire, you can withdraw your EPF savings.

PF Form 19 is a form used to initiate the final settlement of your EPF account. It is applicable to employees who don’t have a Universal Account Number (UAN). This is a unique identification number allotted to the respective EPF member. If you have a UAN, there's a different process for withdrawing your EPF funds (not covered in this article).

Who Should Use PF Form 19?

• Employees who are leaving their job (and will be unemployed for at least two months)
• Employees who are retiring

How to Fill Out PF Form 19

PF Form 19 is a two-page form that requires the following information:

• Provident Fund account number
• Bank account number and IFSC code: This must be the same account linked to your current employer.
• Joining and leaving dates of employment
• PAN details (Permanent Account Number)
• Form 15G or 15H: These forms are used to declare that your income is below the taxable limit.
• Full postal address
• Preferred method of receiving funds (cheque, money order, or bank transfer)
• Revenue stamp of Rs. 1 (not required for online submissions)
• Cancelled cheque with your bank account information (for verification purposes)

PF Form 19 Online Submission

The traditional method involves filling out a paper form and submitting it to your employer. However, it's now much easier to submit PF Form 19 electronically through the EPFO website. Here's how:

1. Go to the EPFO website (https://www.epfindia.gov.in/)
2. Sign into your account and Click on the 'Online Services' tab
3. Select "Claim (Form – 31, 19 & 10C)"
4. Enter the last four digits of your bank account number linked to your EPF account and click 'Verify'.
5. Click 'Yes' on the 'Certificate of Undertaking' pop-up.
6. From the 'I want to apply for' drop-down menu, select 'Only PF Withdrawal (Form – 19)'.
7. A disclaimer page will be displayed. Review it and click 'Get Aadhaar OTP'.
8. An OTP (one-time password) will be sent to your registered mobile number. Enter it to verify.
9. Once submitted, you'll receive a reference number for tracking your claim.

Online Process Requirements

• Your UAN must be activated on the EPFO member portal.
• Your bank account and PAN card must be linked to your UAN.
• Your mobile phone number must also be linked to your UAN.

Online PF Form 19 Benefits

• No employer attestation is required.
• Claims can be processed within 5 days of submission (if your Aadhaar number is linked to your UAN).
• The online portal makes it easier to track the status of your claim.

PF Form 19 Limitations

• Even though employer attestation is no longer required, your employer must still update your exit date in the system. If they don't, your withdrawal process may be delayed.
• If your employer hasn't updated your exit date, you may only be able to access Form 31, which is for advance withdrawals (not full settlements).
• You can update your exit date on the UAN website yourself, but only after two months of leaving your job.

How to Check Your Claim Status

1. Sign in to the EPFO Unified Portal (https://www.epfindia.gov.in/).
2. Go to 'Online Services' menu, click 'Track Claim Status'.

By following these steps, you can use PF Form 19 to withdraw your EPF funds when you leave your job or retire.