Struggling with Unsettled PF for 3 Years: What Steps Should I Take Next?

I resigned from a company three years ago and applied for my PF settlement. The company completed all the formalities and sent the documents to the PF office. However, the PF office informed me that they had sent a cheque to my bank, but I have not received it yet. I am unsure of what steps to take next. The PF office in question is located in Delhi South. How should I proceed in this situation?

In my opinion, you should seek information under RTI from the CPIO of EPFO, New Delhi, on the subject, including the names of staff and officers who are responsible for the non-payment of your dues. Perhaps, upon your request for information, the issue may be reviewed and decided expeditiously by the department.

A better option would be to contact your previous company's HR department, which processes the PF. There could be many reasons for the delay in crediting the amount to your account. Therefore, with their assistance, you can easily track the status of your claim. If you have an acknowledgment copy (providing details of your PF account) received from your employer for their submission reference at the PF office, you can check the status on the EPFO website for updates on your claim.

Thank you.

You can also check the status of your claim by going to the EPFO (Govt. of India) portal. Additionally, if you submitted your claim form after 3 years, you will need to provide your address proof and a letter addressed to the PF office explaining why, to date, you have not claimed your PF.

You have mentioned that the PF authorities informed you that they had sent a cheque to your bank, but you did not receive the money. In this case, I assume that the name in your EPF account and the bank account is different. That is why the amount was not credited to your account and was sent back to EPFO.

Steps to Resolve EPF Cheque Issue

Therefore, it is advised to submit an RTI to the concerned EPF Office with the following queries:

1. What is the current status of my EPF Account No. ___________?
2. Has the account been settled? If yes, when was it settled?
3. Under whose name and to which bank was the settlement cheque sent?
4. Was the cheque that was sent credited to the Payee's account? If yes, what was the account number?
5. If the account was not settled, what is the current balance in my account?

The response to this RTI will clarify all your doubts.

Before submitting this RTI, please visit EPFO (Govt. of India) at http://www.epfindia.com/ and check your EPF account balance. If you have received an SMS regarding your balance, it indicates that your EPF account has not been settled. If there is an error such as an invalid name or account number, it means there is a mismatch in your name in the EPF account. You can also verify your name in your EPF Slip if you have one.

I hope this information is helpful to you. Cheers.

No need to apply for RTI, etc. Visit the PF office and get the details of the payment made, i.e., date of payment, amount, which bank/account number/mode of payment, etc. It will be easy for you to come to a conclusion. If the details are correct, then verify with the bank and find out what happened to the transaction. You can easily solve the problem and get the credit to your account.