Understanding UAN: Will My Friend's Old PF Account Work with Her New Job?

One of my employees previously worked in a company but left during the time of Corona. Now, she has been working in another company for the last three years, but they did not deduct PF as it was a small organization. Now, they want to start deducting PF from my friend's salary. Will the same UAN that was generated four years ago be the same for any other member ID or PF account generated by the new company?

Hi, only the same UAN should be used. Once a UAN is created, the new employer cannot create another UAN. However, the PF number will be new and will vary from company to company.

Understanding the Universal Account Number (UAN)

UAN stands for Universal Account Number. Once it is generated for an employee, it will not be allotted to another employee. In fact, you can activate a previous UAN and start depositing the monthly contribution into the same UAN. In the service history, all your employment (for EPF Contribution) will be displayed here.

UAN Activation and Usage

The same UAN can be activated and used. It is a unique number and can be generated only once for an individual.

Implementing PF Recovery and E-Nomination

Further, if your company is planning to implement PF recovery, please also focus on e-nomination for all employees who are covered under the PF Scheme. Individual PF numbers will be allotted by the company, and hence, they may vary from company to company.