The Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the global economy, including its public health. Apart from these challenges, the induced lockdowns also led to the loss of livelihood and income for many people globally, including in India. To lessen the burden, the Government of India through its regulatory bodies introduced various measures. One such measure was introduced by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) in March 2020 as a part of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY).
As per this scheme, a salaried individual could withdraw a specific sum from their Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) account, if they face any financial issues owing to the Covid-19 induced lockdown. The amended EPF scheme rules announced in May 2021, further allowed for their member to withdraw an amount which was equivalent to either the lower of three months of basic salary and dearness allowance (DA) or 75% of the credit balance in their PF account. The amended scheme also stated that members had the freedom to withdraw a lower amount if they wished to.
What are the eligibility criteria to apply for PF withdrawal using the Pandemic Option?
Three conditions were mandatory to be satisfied by the EPF members for claiming online withdrawal of PF using the pandemic option:
1) EPF members must have activated the Universal Account Number (UAN)
2) EPF member’s Aadhaar number has to be verified and linked with UAN
3) EPF member’s bank account with the correct IFSC credentials should be linked with UAN
Further, EPFO stated that there was no need for any certificate or documents to be submitted by the EPF member of their employer while claiming this benefit. However, a clear and readable scanned copy of the cheque was required for uploading an online EPF account withdrawal.
How to withdraw PF using the Pandemic Option?
For withdrawing PF online using the pandemic option, follow the below steps.
Step 1 :
Go to the EPF Member e-Sewa portal:
https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/ memberinterface/ Step 2 :
Login via EPF member account: enter UAN, password and captcha code
Step 3 :
Click Online services options and choose the relevant claim form namely, 31, 19,10C and 10D
Step 4 :
Webpage providing details of EPF member’s name, birth date etc. appear, wherein they need to enter the bank account number
Step 5 :
Click on verify wherein a pop-up screen will appear asking for a 'Certificate of undertaking'
Step 6:
On bank account number verification, click 'Proceed for online claim'
Step 7 :
Select ‘PF advance” i.e., Form 31from the drop-down menu
Step 8:
Choose the purpose of withdrawal from the drop-down menu as 'Outbreak of pandemic (COVID-19)’
Step 9:
Key in the PF amount to be withdrawn, upload the cheque scanned copy and key in your address
Step 10:
A one-time password (OTP) gets sent on the EPF member’s mobile number which is registered with Aadhaar
Step 11:
Key in the OTP received through SMS
Step 12:
On successful OTP verification, the claim request gets submitted
Step 13:
On successful matching of all details, the claim gets accepted by EPFO and money gets credited to the registered bank account
