Is a Crossed Cheque Really Needed for Provident Fund Withdrawal in India? Seeking Clarity

Hi, I am here to clear my doubt regarding the procedure for the withdrawal of the provident fund. My wife was working with a private organization where she worked for three consecutive years. She left the job three months ago. She asked for the provident fund from the HR personnel of the organization. The HR personnel told her to bring one crossed cheque as a new procedure mentioned by the Provident Fund Office.

Please tell me whether the PF Office in India has adopted the new procedure of requiring a crossed cheque from the employee seeking PF or if there is any confusion. Please guide me on this important matter.

Thank you.

Regards,
Arvind Kamble

Dear Arvind,

There is no such procedure for submitting a cross cheque. You only need to fill up the PF withdrawal form and submit the same to your HR Dept. Please mention which state you are inquiring from.

Rupesh

Procedure for Withdrawal of Provident Fund

Dear Aravind, if you are leaving your job with the company after two months, you need to apply for the PF settlement claim. You must submit PF Claim forms 10C & 19, along with a crossed cheque, to the HR department. The reason they are asking for a crossed cheque is that the PF office needs to identify your bank. Once processed, your claim amount will be sent to your account.

Regards,
Sivakumar

You are right, Shivakumar. There is no risk associated with providing a crossed cheque.

Regards,
Sundar

Furnishing a crossed cheque is not stated anywhere in the law. As far as my knowledge goes, only the application accompanying withdrawal forms needs to be submitted to the HR Department for the withdrawal of PF. Furthermore, there is no risk in forwarding a crossed cheque with the PF withdrawal application form. If the HR Department requests this, you can send the necessary documents to expedite the processing of your application.

I hope you find the above information in order.

Thanks & Regards,

There is no law requiring the submission of a cross cheque along with the PF withdrawal forms. However, the PF authorities are now requesting bank proof to ensure the correctness of the bank account number and branch address mentioned in your withdrawal form. You can submit a photocopy of your bank passbook, bank statement, or a photocopy of a cheque. Please ensure that whichever document you submit along with the form, your bank name, bank address, bank account number, and your name are very clear. Therefore, you can submit any of the documents I have mentioned.

Regards,
V.K. Gupta

Please fill out Form 19 and 10C, which is sufficient. You can submit a photocopy of your bank passbook to verify your account number. This step is not mandatory. If they require a crossed cheque instead, you can provide a canceled cheque as proof of your account number.

If they continue to insist, you can contact EPFO authorities for verification before proceeding further.

Regards,
K.C. Seshadri Thiruvallur

There is no such procedure to submit a crossed cheque along with Form 19 & 10C. You may have to submit the photocopy of the passbook as proof of your account number; that too is not mandatory. It is sufficient that you submit the account number with the correct address of the bank. These documents can be submitted after the waiting period of two months.

With regards.

Dear All, you are all correct; there is no provision in the law for providing a crossed cheque with Form 10C and 19. The PF office simply takes it as proof; they only need to verify the MICR code. There is no harm in providing a xerox copy of a crossed cheque if you feel it necessary.

Warm regards, Swapnil Wani

Hi all,

Can anyone tell me if the PF is withdrawn before completion of 5 years of service, then whether income tax or any deductions will be made?

Moreover, from the discussion, is it a crossed cheque or a cancelled cheque that needs to be given for verification of the account?

Regards,
Anand

No cross cheque is required. As per my knowledge, there is no such requirement. Moreover, it can be confirmed further on the EPF site [EPFO](http://www.epfindia.com/).

Warm regards, Aditya Bhargava AM-HR

For the early and speedy processing of PF, the authority requires a canceled cheque photocopy or, if not possible, the MICR code of the banker (the banker mentioned in the withdrawal form, so there should be no issue in this matter).

Based on my knowledge, there should be no income tax deducted from the PF amount even when withdrawn after 5 years or less.

Regards,
Mansi

Dear Sir,

You are right; there is no harm in providing a photocopy of a canceled cheque, and the department is requesting the same to prevent misuse of funds.

Clarification on Cheque Requirements for Provident Fund Withdrawal

It is not crossed cheques, but a cancelled cheque. This is for establishing the correctness of your bank account. It also verifies the MICR Codes printed on the cheque, which are necessary for remitting your dues through ECS. Crossed cheques hold a different significance in banking. The cheque does not need to be signed.

Regards,
Sunil Singh
Mumbai

You can proceed by submitting a cancelled cheque for the bank account where you want the amount to be transferred. In Form 19 (for PF) and 10C (Pension Fund), there is a section for the Bank Account details. You need to provide the bank account information along with the complete address. This cheque will serve as verification and confirmation of your bank account.

Regards,
Amit

Mandatory Documents for PF Withdrawal

I want to inform you all that as per the CPFC Order dated 28.04.2010, it is mandatory to attach the following documents along with your PF Withdrawal forms (19 and 10C):

1.  Photocopy of your passbook.
2.  One cancelled cheque.

Without these documents, the PF Department will not accept the PF withdrawal forms.

Regards,
Manoj
[Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Is This Document Enough to Get PF Withdrawal Benefits?

1. Form 13A
2. Form 10
3. Forms 19 & 10C
4. Crossed Cheque
5. ID and Address Proof
6. PF Nomination Form

Regards

Kindly read it as "Cancelled Cheque" wherever "Cross Cheque" appears. A "Cancelled Cheque" is obtained to ease the process of identifying the Electronic Transfer Facility through Bank Transfers.

Regards,
Suresh K

Crossed Cheque Requirement for Claiming Procedures

A crossed cheque is mandatory for all claiming procedures.

Crossed Cheque Requirement for Claiming Procedures

A crossed cheque is mandatory for all claiming procedures. I don't have my name mentioned on my cheque. What should I do?

I have corrected the spelling, grammar, and paragraph formatting in the user's input.

We can submit a bank statement for EPF withdrawal; it is not mandatory to submit a crossed cheque.

Regards,
B. Nagendra

I want to know if an employee who left the service and joined another company, with her earlier employer having generated her UAN, can give this UAN to her present employer. Now, my question is whether she can withdraw her PF or if she must compulsorily transfer her PF account. Kindly provide us with your feedback.

Can we withdraw our PF amount without organizational HR interference? If yes, what is the process? Please tell me as soon as possible.

Thank you.

Dear Kaushal,

Yes, you can withdraw the PF without organizational interference. Please follow the below-mentioned steps:

Steps to Withdraw Provident Fund

1. Download Form 19 (EPF Withdrawal) and Form 10C (EPS Withdrawal).
2. Fill out the forms and get them attested by any one of the following officers:
- Bank Manager (PSU)
- Any gazetted officer
- Magistrate/Post Master/Sub Post Master/Notary
3. Enclose a letter addressed to the PF Commissioner explaining why the PF withdrawal forms have not been signed by the respective employer (Attach any documentary evidence if available) - *Optional*
4. Along with the above, enclose a cancelled cheque leaf/bank statement/passbook copy and a copy of your relieving letter. Submit these documents to the respective EPF regional office.

Note: The withdrawal request will be processed, and the amount will be transferred to your account within 25 days from the date of your application.

Note: If you are unemployed, prepare an affidavit from a notary as proof.

Regards,
Sunil

Hi,

I have resigned from services and was relieved on 11-5-2015. I have applied for PF withdrawal through the company I worked for. My name registered in the PF account is Josna Ravindran P, and in my bank account, my name is Josna Rajesh. Will this be a problem for settlement? Kindly advise.

Hi All,

Two months ago, I applied for my PF using the same procedure of submitting a cross-check to my HR department in Hyderabad. However, they informed me that it would take 6-8 months to transfer my PF amount to my bank account.

Will it really take 6-8 months? Please provide me with the correct answer. Thanks!!

Regards,
Dattu A

Hi all, I worked for an IT company for 1 year and 1 month. I had a one-year bond with the organization. After one year, I took unplanned leave for two months, informing my reporting project lead. After two months, when I approached HR and asked for a change of project, which I had been considering for a while, he denied my request and emailed me that I could not join the organization anymore as I was on leave without giving prior information. However, I had conversations with my manager and HR during my medical rest. In the last communication email, he mentioned that the company would take legal action against me. I have not received any letter from the organization yet. (I received this email in October 2014, and my last working day for the company was August 31st, 2014).

Questions and Concerns

Could you please advise me on the following?

i) How can I contact them for PF withdrawal? Can I send a crossed cheque and a filled form to the company address?

ii) Since this seems to be negligence on the part of the employer towards an employee, can I make any claims against the organization for economic loss?

Regards, Ideaonk

Hi Arvind, there is nothing of a kind of any mess. The thing is that this is a procedure that they have to present in front of PF personnel, and through the help of that crossed cheque, the PF amount will be directly debited to that bank account. This process takes at least 30 to 45 days.

Sir, my name is Pavan Kumar. I left my job last month and received my final settlement from my previous organization. I am planning to meet with HR to inquire about the mandatory documents required for applying for PF. He mentioned that I would need one crossed SB cheque, PAN card, and AADHAR card. Is an Aadhar card mandatory for applying for PF?

My wife worked as a kindergarten teacher in a private school for the past 20 years. She is 53 and has retired as she has relocated to a different city. She has no certificates as she applied for her PF pension. They have asked her to produce her birth certificate or school leaving certificate, which she doesn't have. We have produced a passport and PAN card which the PF office has refused to accept. What do we do?