Struggling with PF Withdrawal in Bangalore: How Can I Resolve This Communication Mess?

I am from Pune and was working with IBM (Pune). I applied for PF withdrawal 1.3 years ago, in August 2011, at the Bangalore office. I found that the PF status online was rejected, and I did not receive any communication from the PF office or from IBM regarding this.

I have been emailing the IBM PF withdrawal team about my PF status, and according to them, they have not received any status update. I personally contacted and visited the PF office in Bangalore, and they told me they have already sent communication to the IBM PF withdrawal team about the rejection.

PF Office Communication Issues

The PF office personnel in Bangalore are very poor in verbal communication. They neither gave me a clear idea of what the issue is nor how it can be resolved.

After detailed research, I found that IBM has marked me as an "INTERNATIONAL WORKER," hence the PF withdrawal was rejected by the PF office in Bangalore, and I CANNOT WITHDRAW PF UNTIL I AM 57 YEARS OLD. I was also informed that I cannot transfer PF for the same reason.

IBM's Response

When I contacted the IBM team, they told me they have never marked me as an 'International worker.' I have written almost 21 emails to the IBM team and received a very poor response from them.

In September 2012, I applied for a PF transfer from my existing company, and now I also see the status of the PF transfer rejected due to "Name & PF did not match with the data they have." I did not receive any communication about this rejection, nor did my company.

I don't understand why the PF office in Bangalore is not clear in communication, and it seems they only look for opportunities to reject the PF. It's important to note that the "Name & PF number" was the same as when the PF was first rejected due to the "International worker Status."

Can you suggest any forum or person who can help resolve this issue so that I can withdraw or transfer my PF?

Regards

IBM should have informed you regarding the rejection of your PF claim so that you could reapply for the claim. Actually, the rejected application goes to the claimant's residence address, as far as I know. Anyway, you can file a fresh PF withdrawal claim. You can send a new application with the correct details and mention the reference of the delay and subsequent rejections. The PF office has to either settle your claim or send it back for correction. They cannot keep it without doing anything; otherwise, they have to pay you with a penalty.

Regards,
Rajeev Dixit

I hope IBM would have communicated the same to me. Unfortunately, their replies are very short and consist only of phone numbers, making it difficult to contact them and understand the situation. I have applied twice for withdrawal and once for transfer, but every time I check online, the status appears rejected with no communication from IBM.

Communication Issues with Bangalore EPF Office

The Bangalore EPF office at Whitefield is very poor in communication and does not respond in English or any understandable language. They seem reluctant to reply and do not answer the landline phone numbers provided by IBM.

Considering all these issues, I am searching for a forum or direct contact who can prioritize and resolve my concerns. I hope to find someone who can listen to my case.

Thank you.

In some instances, the PF office rejects the claim and forwards it to the previous employer as they will be able to provide information about the candidate. It is the responsibility of the employer to contact the respective ex-employee, seek details, and furnish the needed clarification to the PF office to process the claim. I would recommend that you send a letter by registered post furnishing details of the claims submitted by you to the PF office. The PF office also conducts regular adalats when disputed claims are attended and sorted out then and there without any delay. Gone are the days when one needs to march to the PF office frequently to obtain their claim. It is almost hassle-free when all documents are in order. I wonder why you applied for withdrawal twice and for transfer once. In such a case, your current employer ought to have processed the transfer claim. You can seek the help of your current employer to know the status.

Regards,
M.V. Kannan