Expecting the government offices to go digital is good but we all know how they move in this aspect. I was surprised to see news on the fact that now the facility of online EPF Passbook has materialized !
The EPFO is the only social security scheme in India for workers and employees. Workers earning upto Rs 6,500 per month in companies over 20 employees in strength are covered under EPFO. Those earning above can join voluntarily. 12% of an employee’s salary along with an equal amount from the employer is credited each month into this account till retirement. This is used to provide pension post retirement.
Getting to know the current balance of your EPF has always been a headache in India. The issue has arisen because the transfer of the same EPF account across different employers has been very cumbersome and lengthy. Often, it took years, just to know the EPF balance or transfer it to a new employer. This was largely facilitated by touts who knew the system well.
So the new facility by which you can get your EPF passbook online is great. But does it work ? I tried my luck. The process is smooth.
Step by step process to get your online EPF Passbook
Step 1 : Hop over to http://members.epfoservices.in/. You will see the below screen. Click on Register.
Step 2 : The below screen will appear.
You will need to provide your mobile number for receiving SMSes. The entire communication with the website is via mobile so ensure that you use this correctly.
You will be asked to choose a document like PAN number or bank account number, among others – this is later used in the login process so ensure you have the number handy of whatever document you are selecting.
Once you have entered all the details, click on “GET PIN” and a 4 digit PIN will be SMSed to you. This will be used in the login process.
Step 3 : Login via the below screen – see the Login section on the right hand side.
You will need to enter your document number which you selected earlier and mobile number for successful login.
Step 4 – Click on Download E Passbook on the menu as shown below.
Step 5 – Select the State from the drop down menu and then the EPF Office.
Step 6 – This is the page where you enter your EPF number. Here is how you can do that :
To take an example, suppose the EPF account has a number KN/12345/678 in the EPF statement slip which your employer gives.
In that case 12345 will be the establishment code and 678 will be the account number .
You need to enter the establishment code in the third text field and the account number in the last. The second blank text filed is the sub code or extension of the establishment code.
You can then GET PIN again and use it to download the passbook.
If it is not available, you will get a message which says “Your e-passbook not available”. But you can use the “Send request to get your e-passbook” to get it later.
Once you take that option, you will get a message which says “Your e-Passbook request has been accepted. You shall be intimated on SMS when the same is available. You can check back after 3 days.”
Things to note about online EPF Passbook
1. No userid/password – The website has literally done away with any login and password – it works at the back of a simple document like PAN or bank account number which anyone can remember.
2. Not for all – This facility is only for those EPF members for whom the employer has uploaded the Electronic Challan Cum Return for the wage month of May 2012 onwards.
3. Document List – Documents that can be used are : PAN, AADHAR, NPR (National Population Register), Bank Account, Voter ID, Passport or Driving License.
4. One mobile – Needless to say, only one mobile number can be used for the registration – that makes sense from a security perspective.
5. Many accounts – A member can view up to a maximum of 10 accounts under different establishments. The 10 accounts can be viewed any number of times but it is advised to get your old accounts transferred to the current one by using the Transfer Form 13.
6. Operative accounts only – The details are displayed only for active EPF accounts and not for those accounts which are not operating or have negative balances.
Very informative article. Looks like EPF authorities are coming up with very innovative ways to track EPF. But i feel they should concentrate more in updating their records. They have only updated until 31/03/2011 which is more than a year and half behind. I think people will be more happier to see the updated data.
Give it sometime Rakesh . We are slow on this respect.