Workers seek automatic linking of PF accounts with UAN number

After the introduction of the UAN, the EPFO over the years has simplified the process to update various data pertaining to the employee and withdrawal of their PF contributions and pension fund. However, the employee contributing to the EPFO are facing various difficulties in merging the accounts and marking corrections.

V Gopalakrishnan, said that EPFO should allow the employees to merge the accounts linked within the UAN automatically. “When I quit a job and join a new company, my PF contributions are contributed in a new account number linked to the existing UAN. But, the previous company account remains separate and it will be merged only if apply for it through the present company or the previous company. He said that the EPFO should merge the accounts linked with the same UAN automatically to simplify the process. B Parimala, a private company employee, said that she had made several attempts to withdraw her contributions, but was rejected for some reason.

An EPFO official in the city said that various processes for updating the data and withdrawing the contributions have been simplified in the last few years. “Now the employees are allowed to even update their date of exit on their own. Earlier, it could be done by the employer only,” the official said, adding that to transfer the accounts within the UAN, the employee could do it online but have to complete the process either through the previous or present employer.