Universal Account Number (UAN): Benefits, Services & Online Process

Universal Account Number (UAN) is a 12 digit number which is provided to each member of the Employees’ Provided Fund Organisation (EPFO) through which he can manage his PF accounts. This number is issued by the Ministry of Employment and Labour under the Government of India. It helps the person to get all Provided Fund (PF) information in one place irrespective of the organization he works for.

Earlier, when an individual joined a new organization, he was assigned a new PF account number. Thus, it was very difficult to get a proper estimate of the PF of members. And in case of any payout issues, it was difficult to keep a track of activities. In order to reduce this problem, the UAN came into existence. It is a universal number which helps the member to assemble all his PF accounts associated with multiple ids of different organizations at one place. With the help of UAN, the employee can easily withdraw and transfer funds.

Also Read : UAN Registration for Employee: How to Register/Activate UAN

Benefits of Universal Account Number (UAN)

Here are some of the benefits of UAN for both employees and employers : 

• The UAN helps the EPFO in tracking the change in the job of the employee.
• When the employee changes his job, he has to link the new PF account to the UAN and hence the EPFO will update the same in its records.
• UAN facilities can be accessed online making withdrawals and transfers easy when one changes his job.
• UAN also ensures that all PF accounts of the employee are genuine.

Important Points Related to UAN

UAN Advantages for Employees

• Less Employer Involvement in withdrawals of PF:  With UAN, the employer involvement has been reduced as the PF of the old organization will be transferred to the new PF account once KYC verification is complete.
• Fund Transfer Not Required: The employee needs to give his UAN details and KYC to the new employer and the old PF is transferred to the new PF account once the verification is done.
• Easily Managed by SMS alerts: Employees receive SMS whenever a contribution is made by the employer after registering at the UAN portal.

How UAN has made it Easy to Withdraw/Transfer Funds

When the employee switches his company, he can either withdraw or transfer his funds. But since the whole process was so tedious, usually people didn’t utilize their PF. After the launch of UAN, the task has been made easier in the following ways:-

• You can link your all PF accounts together with your UAN.
• You need to give your UAN to the employer and you can manage your account online after the KYC verification.
• You get a monthly update on your mobile on deposits made by the employer in the PF account.
• Employer’s intervention is less if PF account is linked to UAN.
• As UAN eases the linking of all PF accounts so the withdrawal is less.

How UAN has Made it Easy to Manage EPF

The UAN can be very helpful in managing your PF account –

• The UAN is handy or portable throughout an employee’s career. By just giving your UAN and PF account details to various employers, you are good to go, as all old accounts are linked to single UAN.
• You can download UAN card by registering at the EPFO member portal.
• The scanned KYC documents can be uploaded by Employee on the portal and the employer can verify it.
• The UAN also helps in monitoring the claim transfer on EPFO portal.
• Using UAN, one can check the PF balance by downloading the passbook from EPFO’s website.
• The UAN provides hassle-free maintenance of PF accounts as withdrawal is not required due to universal linking of PF accounts.

Online UAN Allotment Process

Here are some important things to keep in mind while using UAN:

• The UAN is given to all the PF account holders by the EPFO
• The details of UAN have to be downloaded and given to the employer
• This UAN is further passed on to the concerned employee of the organization
• The EPFO web portals help in checking the UAN allotment.

Registering the UAN

Few simple steps have to be followed while registering for UAN:

1. Visit the EPF Member Portal.
2. Activate the UAN by clicking “Activate UAN”
3. Provide information about your UAN, member id, mobile number, Aadhaar, PAN, name, date of birth and e-mail id
4. Click on “Get Authorization PIN” to get the PIN is sent on the mobile number
5. Enter this PIN to verify your request.
6. Create a username and password for the UAN portal.

The EPF Member Portal

After logging in using the UAN and password, one can do the following things :

• Download passbook and UAN card
• View the member’s ids and PF linking status
• View status of transferred claim; file claim and check system generated transfer claims
• Edit your email ids and mobile number
• Update the KYC documents and also upload them
• View the helpdesk contact numbers

How to Transfer EPF Accounts using UAN

The transfer of PF account using the UAN is mentioned below:

• Check the PF eligibility and ensure all the present and previous employers’ records are present online at EPFO
• Upload the digital signature online
• In order to file a transfer online, you have to register yourself on the EPFO portal.
• After logging into the EPF member portal, select the option to transfer your account.
• Fill all three parts of the form.
• Select the attesting authority and member ID/UAN and click on “Get OTP”.
• An OTP will be sent to your registered mobile number. Enter this OTP to continue
• Your form will be submitted and you will get a tracking ID
• Take the print out of the transfer form and submit it to the current employer.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What will happen to UAN in case of a change in job?
   When you change the job, you need to give the UAN to the new employer. The employer links the new PF account to it. The UAN remains the samethroughout the employee’s career.
2. What information does the UAN card hold?
   The UAN card contains the information about the universal account number and the KYC details (if verified by the employer) on the front. The rear side of the card has the recent five-digit member id and EPFO helpdesk contact numbers.
3. How to transfer old EPF accounts and connect them to UAN?
   Once the current EPF account is linked with UAN, you can link all the old EPF accounts online and check the status of transfer requests as well.
4. What to do if two UANs get allotted?
   In this case, the employee has to inform the EPFO helpdesk immediately. After all the necessary verification, the old UAN gets blocked.
5. What can be done if wrong information is mentioned on your EPF card?
   If you want to change your father’s name, your name or DOB, it can be done by presenting valid documents to the current employer. Also, the same can be communicated to the EPFO helpdesk to get the necessary changes done on the UAN card.

Read More 3 Ways To Check Your PF Account Through Mobile