Provident Fund Mistake: How to Resolve Payment Issues with a Closed Account?

Dear All,

One employee's contract was closed in December, and he has also withdrawn the fund. However, when we received intimation about his contract extension, we mistakenly deposited the payment into the old account. Now that he is relieved and willing to withdraw the amount, the provident fund (PF) was rejected, stating that the account is already closed, and settlement is done.

What can be done to facilitate the employee's settlement now?

Newly deposited ECR contains the fresh appointment date. If YES, then the person has to be contributory for SIX months and then make him relieved.

My query is: what can be done if PF is paid to the member ID that is already closed? How can it be retrieved back?

The contract was terminated in December. When was it extended? For how many months was he "unemployed"? If you have now reinstated him, he will be a new employee. I guess he will get a new UAN. You can make changes and refile the previous returns. There is a procedure for it.

Coming to think of it, the current portal-based payment and ECR system should not allow payment to a PF account that is closed. Can you please explain exactly what you and the employee have done?