Is HR Really Responsible for Managing Ex-Employees' PF? Seeking Clarity on Annexure K and Delays

My friend resigned on April 2nd. May 2nd is the last working day. His form was submitted on July 13, 2012 (60 days from the relieving date as stated by HR). HR personnel are stating that the time period for crediting PF (Provident Fund) into the account is still 60 to 90 days. He has requested them to credit it at an earlier date. They responded by saying that they are providing a free service to ex-employees by handling the PF matter and that employees should take care of their PF withdrawal issues on their own. Is this true? However, one thing to note is that they are causing delays in the process. Additionally, HR staff mentioned that the PF officials are confused about Annexure K. He has not secured a new job yet. According to them, does Annexure K come into play in this situation? I have heard that Annexure K is necessary for transferring PF funds from one account to a new one. Also, when he tries to check the status of his PF application on the EPFindia site, it shows "your application is rejected and is being sent to the address mentioned by you."

Is HR Responsible for Handling PF of Ex-Employees?

Is it mandatory for HR personnel to handle the PF of ex-employees? If so, please provide a text from the PF Act that supports this.

Clarification Needed

Can you also clarify the above doubts for me?

Thank you.

Claim Settlement Process

Claims should be settled within 30 days from the date of claim receipt. The employer's responsibility is to file the claim form; the remaining tasks are handled by the PF officials. Your role is to simply request an acknowledgment of the filed claim form.

If the claim form is rejected, it will be sent back to the employer. In such a case, you must approach the employer again to address any corrections or discrepancies.

Completing claim-related tasks is not a part of the HR job scope. HR's responsibility is limited to filling out the claim form and rectifying any discrepancies that may arise.

Regards

Somani Ji, thanks for shedding light on my doubts. HR people are saying that even submitting is not their responsibility. They informed my friend that they submitted the application form on 13th July. I think they didn't. My friend received 3 SMS today as follows:

BZ-EPFO
1. PF Settlement Claim ID: APHYD120700023959 Member Account No APHYD00639480000000518 has been rejected. Rejection letter is under dispatch.
2. Form 10C (Withdrawal Benefit/Scheme certificate) for account APHYD00639590000000519 received on 05.09.2012 and Claim ID APHYD120500007156 is under process.
3. Claim form 19 for PF settlement for member account no APHYD00639590000000519 received on 05.09.2012 and Claim ID APHYD120500007154 is under process.

Understanding the SMS Notifications

What do these mean? Please explain briefly. What is the first SMS about? Does PF application rejection mean his ex-employers have submitted his forms on 5th of September (yesterday)? When can he expect his PF amount to be credited to his bank account? Thanks a ton.