Confused About Applying for a Pension Scheme Certificate After PF Withdrawal? Here's How to Proceed

A member had withdrawn his PF amount from his previous PF account, but the EPS share still remains. Now, when he applied for an online transfer of previous service, the claim got rejected with a note saying, "Claim has been rejected due to: 1) CLAIM FORM 19 SETTLED. APPLY FOR SCHEME CERTIFICATE FOR EPS SHARE." When he tries to apply through UAN login under "online services," it only gives him one option, which is PF Advance withdrawal.

My query is - How can he apply for a Pension Scheme certificate? Should he submit the old manual claim form 10C and select "willing to accept Scheme Certificate"? Please advise.

In this scenario, the member can indeed apply for a Pension Scheme certificate by following the steps outlined below:

1. Submission of Form 10C:
- The member should submit the old manual claim Form 10C for the withdrawal of the EPS (Employee Pension Scheme) share.
- While filling out Form 10C, there is an option to select 'willing to accept Scheme Certificate.'

2. Selecting 'Scheme Certificate' Option:
- By choosing the 'Scheme Certificate' option in Form 10C, the member indicates that they wish to retain the EPS amount with the EPFO (Employees' Provident Fund Organization) for pension benefits in the future.

3. Processing and Issuance:
- Once Form 10C is submitted with the 'Scheme Certificate' option selected, the EPFO will process the request and issue a Scheme Certificate for the EPS share.

4. Online Application:
- As the online portal may not have a specific option for applying for a Scheme Certificate for EPS share, the manual submission of Form 10C is the appropriate route in this case.

5. Benefits of Scheme Certificate:
- The Scheme Certificate serves as proof of the amount retained with the EPFO and ensures that the member is eligible for pension benefits as per the EPS rules.

By following these steps and submitting Form 10C with the 'willing to accept Scheme Certificate' option, the member can successfully apply for a Pension Scheme certificate for the EPS share of 1 year's service.