Stuck with PF Transfer Due to Name Mismatch? How to Solve It Without a Joint Declaration

Dear All, after having my Aadhaar verification process done on a unified portal last year around August 2019, I initiated a transfer request from my previous organization, which got rejected due to a name mismatch.

In my previous organization, my PF account had my name as "Sreejith Menon," but since Aadhaar includes a middle name, my new PF account has the name "Sreejith Rajappan Menon," leading to the name mismatch.

I registered my grievance on https://epfigms.gov.in/, and the team responded, saying, "Submit a joint declaration or an online name change request to update the name in the PF account number."

However, since my previous company has closed its operations and there is no staff currently, it is not possible for me to get a joint declaration form stamped by them. Please suggest an alternative.

PF Transfer Issues and Solutions

Sreejith, PF transfer fails for various reasons—no need to worry. Let's take a solution-oriented approach here:

1. KYC in the UAN Portal is fetched from Aadhaar-based authenticated details from the UIDAI Portal. There is no way you can update this on the UAN Portal directly since Aadhaar details will always mismatch. EPFO is right in rejecting your claim for PF transfer.

2. If you can go the arduous way—yet beneficial to you in the long run—please have your Aadhaar updated with the correct or preferred name now. Aadhaar updation usually takes about two weeks, after which you can seed fresh KYC details in the UAN portal, and then it will not mismatch with the Aadhaar details. It's a longer route but beneficial for you in the future as well.

3. If #2 is not feasible for you, please submit an online name change request. The process can be followed from the EPFO website—it is self-explanatory.

Additional Thoughts

1. Why did your previous employer not update your correct name details as per Government ID proofs? Today, HR systems only accept Government ID proof to seed data into their systems—your employee profile, email ID, etc., are assigned to you based on correct Government ID proofs only.

2. If you have different name records, why didn't you update them over these years, realizing that a mismatch in records can deny you essential services like banking, PF, employment, etc.?

3. While you try to update your name, it is a pretty serious thing for the Government since everything is so linked these days. You have to start right from your educational documents and other Government ID proofs to see what can be your final name records.

Time to act, please—do not sit and watch.

Steps to Activate UAN and Change Basic Details

To activate your UAN and initiate a basic details change from your end, please follow these steps. If the initial attempt is unsuccessful, proceed by raising a joint declaration. Approach the company authority to obtain the necessary stamp and signature. In cases where the company has closed down, they must also surrender the EPF code. Failure to do so will result in the company not being considered closed.

As a last resort, ensure all your personal documents, such as your Aadhar card, PAN card, voter ID, or any other government-issued identification, align with the details on your school certificates. Make any necessary corrections and resubmit the documents.