Frustrated with Delayed EPF Claim: What Should I Do Next After 45 Days of Waiting?

I had submitted my settlement for PF claim in Gurgaon EPFO office on 20th June 2008. My PF account no. being HR/GGN/26986/20. I gave a small piece of paper along with the Forms with my DOB, Date of Joining and Date of Leaving which the clerk stamped on it and returned me back. It has been now more than 45 days and still when I check online it says “Your Claim is not received by this Office”. Even if the forms were not filled properly then they should have informed the same to me, isn't it? I wrote several mails to the EPFO office and also lodged a complaint with Public Grievance site but with no effect. Can anyone help me what should be my next step as I know the office would not entertain phone calls? Can I fill up again and submit it to the EPFO office? If any solution then please advise.

Did you check up with your previous employer whether your form has been sent back to them for want of formalities?

You could have done a photocopy of the first page of the withdrawal form and got the receipt from the PF office on it. A mandatory form (called the SSN Form) needs to be submitted with the withdrawal forms. That is one of the reasons why some forms are returned.

If you have time, you may visit your region's EPFO office where the forms are processed and meet the PRO. Our EPFO departments across the country have not become so efficient, and at times you will come across officials who are corrupt from the top down.

The delay is sometimes deliberate to harass the subscriber and make them pay for each withdrawal as a bribe. Hope and wish that you get your withdrawal at the earliest.

Best wishes and regards,
Debashis

Hi,

Thank you for your thoughtful suggestions. I submitted my SSN Form along with forms 10c and 19. The only mistake I believe I made is that I didn't obtain a photocopy of the first page or get it stamped as a receipt. I suspect the form has not been returned to my previous employer, or else they would have contacted me. I also sent an application directly appealing about the same by courier yesterday to the RPFC at the Gurgaon Office. I am unsure whether that will yield results.

Now, I plan to wait for the next 14 days as the status will be updated on the EPFO site. If my claim does not appear, I will consider reapplying and ensuring I have a stamped receipt or acknowledgment.

Thank you very much.

Hi,

I am sorry to say that I don't think you will be getting your PF because I'm sure your previous employer is not going to submit your form. Nowadays, most companies are doing the same thing. Even if you complain at the PF office, they are not going to take any action because they are also receiving money from the companies.

Let me tell you that 12 of my friends and I are also facing the same problem. It has been around 8 months, but none of us have received our PF. We are just wasting our time, phone calls, and money by chasing the PF office and our ex-company, so we have lost hope now.

So now, you decide what you can do. Maybe the PF officers in your city are better.

Regards,
Neha
Mumbai

Yeah, I know that out of 10 people submitting PF claim settlements, only 1 gets hassle-free money. But my ex-employer had signed and given back my PF forms along with SSN and 10c, so I went in person to submit the same in the EPF office. So I know 100% that I have submitted the forms but still no news or any confirmation on the site as well as by any means. The only way is to wait and see... no other solution to that, or else re-submit the forms!

In your case, I think you have given the task to your employer to submit those forms. You could have gotten it signed and then submitted by yourself in person in the PF office instead of leaving that to your employer.

Dear Friends,

I think that neither of you should sound pessimistic. Yes, I understand that such things happen, but always keep hope that if your forms are okay in all respects, you are certainly going to get your withdrawal money in a month or two. Such delays have been happening with some of our ex-employees also. And don't trust much the website. They do not update records properly, neither would they answer your emails authentically. It seems the EPFO department is overburdened with work.

You won't believe, even employees working in government offices have to bribe the PF officials to get their dues on time. Such a sorry state of affairs should open the eyes of the government to privatize the operations of Provident & Pension Funds to reduce its expenses and streamline its operations.

Best Wishes & Regards,

Be Cheerful Always in Life! Debashis

About PF:

I worked at my previous organization for 3 years. Afterwards, I joined another organization, and that organization filled out my transfer PF Form 13 and submitted it to the PF office. It has been one and a half years since then, and I have not received any response. When I inquired at the present PF office about my old PF transfer, they informed me that they had already sent a letter to the previous PF regional office but have not received a response. What should I do now? Please provide me with suggestions.

Thank you.