Navigating UAN Disclosure: Should I Fill Form 11 or Keep My PF Details Private?

I joined Company A in 2020, but no PF account was created. Then I joined Company B with my manager's consent to earn extra income, and there, without my knowledge, a PF account was created. I worked there for 6 months just to clear a loan for my brother and left following proper procedures. I had no idea about UAN procedures.

After peacefully continuing to work with Company A, I left in 2022. I joined Company C in 2023 and chose not to opt for PF contributions, so I did not disclose my UAN and PF details to Company C.

After working for 11 months, Company C suddenly gave me Form 11 to fill out. I want to understand the reason behind this. I am reluctant to provide my UAN details. What should I do? Should I fill them or leave them blank as I do not want PF contributions and prefer my full salary due to increased responsibilities? My basic salary is more than 15,000/-.

What steps should I take?

Your first job was at Company A, where your salary was more than Rs 15,000, and you were not covered by EPF at that time. However, when you joined Company B, you were registered under PF. Subsequently, you returned to Company A, where you continued without PF. Upon joining Company C, you were once again not covered by PF. Now, the company is requesting you to provide details of your previous PF contributions by declaring the same in Form 11, correct?

If you do not wish to continue with the PF account created by the second company due to an oversight, you have the option to skip it. Before doing so, you may attempt to withdraw the amount from that account. Given that there have been no contributions since your departure from Company B and your UAN is inactive, you should be able to withdraw at least your own share along with the employer's contribution to the EPF. However, the employer's share of 8.33% of the PF contributing salary deposited in the Pension fund may not be withdrawn until completing a full six months of contributions. If the withdrawal is successful, you can then declare in Form 11 for Company C that you were not covered by PF in your previous organizations. If your salary exceeds Rs 15,000 and you confirm that you are not an existing EPF member, Company C will not enroll you under PF. Nevertheless, this is contingent on the closure of your existing PF account. If you are unsure about the creation of your UAN, you will need to activate it, link your Aadhar with UAN, and then proceed with the withdrawal process.

PF as a Beneficial Social Security Measure

PF is a beneficial social security measure that offers employees investment opportunities as well as income tax benefits. However, concealing your PF history could lead to accountability issues if discovered by your current or future employer during background verification. Therefore, it is essential to carefully consider your decision before permanently closing your PF account.

Thank you for the detailed information. I really appreciate it. However, could you please let me know if my current employer will use Form 11 to try to create my UAN without asking me? If he does, he will be aware of my existing UAN.

Also, let me know, can they enroll me for PF contribution after 11 months of employment?

EPF Enrollment and Retrospective Coverage

If the intention is to cover you under EPF, they should have done it when you joined the establishment. They cannot enroll an employee after so many months of his joining. This is just for their records. It will be dated on your date of joining, I am sure. If you mention your UAN in Form 11, they will be stuck. Can they give you coverage from a retrospective date (of joining)? No. It is their responsibility to ensure that an employee joining with a salary of more than Rs 15,000 is not an existing member of PF so that they can exclude him from EPF. Therefore, they only want you to give a declaration that you don't have a PF number now.