Confused About Your PF Account Being Claimed? Here's How to Tackle It

My father recently went to the PF Office to claim his account, which he worked on from 1980 to 1988. The section officer said that his account has been claimed, but another officer mentioned that a part of the amount has been withdrawn. My father swears that he has not transferred or claimed his amount till now. Can anyone help me on how to proceed further?

First, your father needs to speak to your local EPF commissioner and get the statement. Later, he is supposed to check with the employers he has worked with for this. Additionally, your father can check the status of the EPF fund online. If your father still encounters the same problem where your EPF fund has been claimed, he can then take legal action. I will provide you with more information on this later. Before that, I want you to ask your father to follow the steps I suggested above.

Dear Anil Sir, The status of EPF Online states: "Your account has been marked as an inoperative account. For details, please contact the respective EPF Office." His employers have long closed the Tannery/Establishment. I will ask my father to speak to the local EPF Commissioner and get back to you, Sir. Thank you for your timely help.

Regards, Ivan Antony John [Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons] [Email Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Please do not just visit the EPO and talk to the Commissioner. You can lodge a written complaint with material evidence copies and then get the office acknowledgment, which will help you to proceed further in this regard. You can also use the link below to lodge a complaint:

Home Page

All the best.

Regards,
S. Sethupathy
Excellent HR Services
Erode

I would like to seek your advice on a subject issue. My father was a state government employee and retired in 2009. He received his PF amount in his bank account. However, my elder brother somehow persuaded him to hand over the money and invested it without informing my mother. Now, she is left without any financial support and is facing difficulties.

Legal Recourse for Financial Mismanagement

Is there any legal recourse my mother can take against my brother for this action? Can she claim the money in her name through any available means?

Thank you for your assistance.

Regards,
Rishi
Bangalore

There is no definitive answer to your query. It depends on several factors: Is your father alive? How did he give the money? Was it a joint account? Did he approve the transaction, or was it done without his approval? What evidence do you have, etc.?

You will need to consult with a lawyer to determine how strong a case you have against your brother, if at all. In any case, a legal action would need to be filed under civil law unless you can demonstrate a criminal breach of trust or direct fraud. The case could take years, so I don't have much hope for your mother receiving immediate relief.

In any case, if you provide all the details of the circumstances, a lawyer will be able to advise you on your position. Remember to consider the lawyer's fees and other costs in relation to what you might recover.

Hi Antony, this seems to be a serious issue with your father's EPF account. This could be due to an error by the employer while allocating the EPF numbers to the members. Your father should register a written complaint at the local EPF office with the necessary EPF receipts enclosed and his bank account proof attached (just to indicate that no EPF claim has been withdrawn). Moreover, interact with the company HR via email so that his responses can be traced by you.

Regards

Steps to Address PF Account Issues

It is necessary to create documentary evidence by corresponding with the local PF office, the Regional PF Commissioner's office, as well as with the employer(s), as the case may be. If your matter gets settled, well and good. If not, you can file a complaint against the PF Commissioner in the Provident Fund Tribunal.

Regards,
RDW

Your father might have a copy of Form-23 (EPF A/c. Slip) for the period during which he was a member of the EPF & Misc. Act scheme. According to the EPF A/c. officer, if the same money has been claimed, please note down the cheque number through which they settled the claim, and in whose bank account or post account it was deposited. Provide copies of all your father's bank accounts during the claim withdrawal period and ask the assistant EPF commissioner directly whether your father settled the claim. If not, inquire whose account the money was settled in.

Regards,
Chinmay Nanavati.

Dear sir,

Recently, I have tried to check my EPF balance by entering the account number, but the system shows "Data not available. For details, please contact the respective EPF Office." Kindly let me know the exact issue behind this problem.

Please visit the PF department to meet with the clearing section officer or someone from the clearing department. Get complete details of the account to have better clarity first.