Confused About EPFO Claim Rejection? Employer Says Pension Share Is Paid, PF Office Disagrees

The claim request with EPFO was rejected, stating: "Your Claim [Claim Id - xxxxxxxxxx] has been rejected due to: 1) pension share has not been paid. Please clarify the same."

While EPS wages monthly contribution and employer share are paid (as it appears in the passbook), the PF office says that the employer has not paid Pension wages. The employer says it is included in EPS 12%, so we need not pay pension wages. The PF office states that until the employer pays pension wage, you cannot get the claim.

For an employee who joined after 1st September 2014, the pension is not applicable. That is why the employer has paid their entire share of 12% to your Provident Fund. Now, you can send a clarification letter to the EPFO stating that your date of joining is after 1st September 2014, and therefore, no amount has been remitted into the Pension Fund. However, the employer's 12% contribution has been paid into the Provident Fund. This clarification should be sufficient.

Dear Madhu, Thank you for the input and guidance. Please see the attached document with actual party names purposefully omitted/hidden. The letter from the PF office requires me to physically address the Employer and ask them for clarification. Does the PF office not account for claims made for withdrawal on EPF eligible employment dates (6-7 years far beyond 2014)? Shouldn't the employer provide a clarifying letter (instead of me giving it)? What is my role here in obtaining that letter, stating that the "Pension Fund, but 12% payable by the employer, has been paid into the Provident Fund"? Looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks for the support; I appreciate it again.

This is okay; let the employer give clarification that he has paid the entire 12% to your PF rather than bifurcating it as 8.33% to the pension fund and the remaining 3.67% to PF. If the employer is not responding, you can take action by registering a complaint on the EPFO website. This may prompt them to respond. If you have a good relationship with your previous employer, you can also request them to respond to the letter sent by EPFO.