How Should I Handle My Old PF Accounts: Close Them or Transfer to My Current Employer?

CiteHR,

1. I worked for a reputed company in Blr from Oct 03 to Oct 04. I have a final settlement copy with me but no experience or relieving letter from them. Now, I want to close this account. I don't want to approach this company to receive the same cold responses. Kindly suggest!

2. From Oct 04 to March 06, I worked for a company where there was no PF facility for us. From May 06 to Aug 07, I joined a good establishment and had a new PF A/c opened. I quit this company in Aug 07 with good exit formalities. My current company has a new PF A/c opened when I joined them in Sep 07 and working with them till now.

Kindly suggest whether I should close the 2 previous accounts or transfer it to my current employer's PF.

Thank you in advance! Anjali

If you want to close the PF accounts, you can do so by sending Form 19 and Form 10 C through your previous employers. Though attestation by MPs, MLAs, Bank Officers, etc., instead of the previous employer is accepted in many cases and in practice, the Provident Fund Organization demands attestation by the employer(s). Therefore, if your rapport with the previous employer is not good, you may find it difficult to get it done.

If you want to transfer your PF amounts, you can do so by sending Form 13 duly attested by the present employer. In Form 13, the signature of the previous employer is not required. For two transfers, separate Form 13 shall be needed. The forms are available on the website of EPFO.

Regards,
Madhu.T.K

Madhu,

Thank you very much for the quick suggestion. I have one more clarification. I am not too sure about the PF account number (it's coded as HR/ HYD/ 4213 4568) that I was holding in 03-04. Moreover, compensation and benefits were outsourced to some HR firm in Hyd. So in such a case, what is the possible option for me to know my PF number? It's been almost 4 years, and that is the cause of worry for me.

As you said, should I go ahead and transfer both to my current account.

Warm Regards,
Anjali

You can confirm your EPF account by personally visiting the Regional/Sub-Regional Office of the Employees' Provident Organisation in the state where you had been working. From the EPFO's site, you are also able to view the account number, but if your employer's (outsourced) details are not known, it may be difficult to trace it. Therefore, in practice, it is possible if you visit the office personally.

Regards,
Madhu.T.K