Navigating Pension Claims: What Documents Do I Need for a Smooth Retirement Process?

Retirement and Pension Documentation

I retired after completing 58 years of service. I have been contributing to the Provident Fund (PF) since 1992 and have worked in five different companies over the past 27 years. I have consistently transferred my PF from previous employers to the last company from which I retired. Now, to receive my monthly pension, what documents do I need to submit to the PF office?

1. Is only Form 10D from the last employer sufficient?
2. Do I also need to submit Form 10C from all my previous companies? Please confirm.
3. Additionally, how can I calculate the monthly pension amount if I choose to avail of the pension after turning 60 years old?

Pension Benefits and Required Documents

Mere transfer of your PF accumulations will not qualify you to avail pension benefits from your first employment onwards. You should have obtained a scheme certificate for the services rendered by you. As you have worked in five companies, you should obtain 5 scheme certificates from EPFO.

All these scheme certificates should be surrendered to EPFO along with the following documents:

1) Non-Employment Certificate (self-declaration by member/Claimant)
2) Form 1-D duly filled in, signed, and countersigned by your last employer
3) 3 photographs of your family (yours + your spouse)
4) Copy of your Aadhaar card.

Can you elaborate and advise in detail how and to whom the application should be submitted to obtain a scheme certificate? If the PF accumulation has been transferred to the current code, then why can pension services not be counted and accumulated with the current employer while UAN services are active and the same? Please help me understand.

As you can observe, the poster has 27 years of work experience and has already admitted to paying PF since 1992. Now, addressing your query, let me elaborate on the Scheme Certificate, how it can be obtained, and why the pension is not accumulated due to UAN.

EPS Scheme Certificate

The EPS Scheme Certificate is issued by EPFO. It provides details of the service of the EPF member (an employee). The EPS Scheme Certificate shows the service and family details of an employee member who is eligible to receive an EPF pension in case of the member's death.

Once you leave the job, you must fill out Form 10C. In Form 10C, there are options to either withdraw EPS or apply for an EPS Scheme Certificate. Once you choose the option to issue an EPS Scheme Certificate, your employer sends it to EPFO, and then EPFO will issue you an EPS Scheme Certificate.

Universal Account Number (UAN)

On October 1, 2014, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, launched the Universal Account Number for employees covered by EPFO to enable PF number portability. Prior to 2014, a PF member had to manually submit necessary forms to transfer the PF amount.

I trust I have helped you to a greater extent in understanding.

Dear Member, please be informed that EPF Transfer includes the transfer of EPF + EPS. Hence, there is no need to apply for a Scheme Certificate in respect of your previous EPF Accounts. Please submit Form 10C to your present employer and obtain the Scheme Certificate upon attaining 58 years. You can decide to opt for a pension after attaining 60 years, after receipt of the Scheme Certificate.