Struggling with EPFO Claims: How to Resolve Discrepancies in Deceased Member's Documents?

Dear Sir, I require your help to solve my issue. An EPFO member passed away in 2016. All claim forms were filed, and EPFO settled forms 20 & EDLI after some minor objections in 2017. However, FORM 10D was not clear and got rejected 4 times due to discrepancies in the employee's father's name and other details not matching EPFO documents.

The deceased member's Aadhar was not linked to his UAN, and there were minor differences in documents such as the PAN, Aadhar, bank details, and death certificate.

My queries are as follows:

1. Is it possible for the department to settle 2 forms and hold one Form 10D?

2. What joint declaration can be submitted by the nominee/legal heir after the member's death for correcting name details?

3. Are there any affidavits that the nominee/legal heir can submit to resolve all differences regarding the member's documents?

Please suggest any other format forms to resolve the above issues and help the widow start receiving a pension.

Regards, H.D. Sharma SIIPL LTD District Alwar, Rajasthan.

New Trend from EPFO

This is a new trend from EPFO. Earlier, minor mismatches were ignored. Now, even a minute error is considered a serious mistake, and the claim is rejected. In the past, the Aadhaar numbers did not include the date of birth; only the year of birth was available. Now, this has become mandatory, and it should match the details in the PF records. Another crucial point to note is that even for Income Tax payers who file their returns online, the PF records may show the PAN as unverified.

Settling PF and EDLI

It is possible to settle the PF and EDLI and retain the pension payment alone, but there must be a valid reason for such a decision. When visiting the EPF Office, they may advise doing everything online as the system does not accept any discrepancies. However, if it were offline, approval could be easier with an affidavit and the competent officer's approval.

Pension Claims

Regarding pension claims, since the system is offline, one can reapply with a notarized affidavit and submit necessary proof to confirm the nominee as per Form 2. You may try this approach.