Multiple Uan Merging

The provident fund rules state that an employee should possess only one UAN Account. If an employee is assigned two UANs, the employee has to deactivate the previous UAN. This article discusses the merging procedures of UAN of different

EPF accounts.

Multiple Uans

A new UAN is created when an employee changes his/her job, and all EPF accounts must be linked with the UAN. In addition to this, there are various reasons for allotment of new UAN to an employee. Some of these reasons are given below.

The employee does not disclose the previous UAN to the new employer: When an employee switches job, the previous UAN and EPF account number (Member ID) has to be disclosed. If these details are not given, the employer opens a new UAN and EPF account.
Non-furnishing of 'Date of Exit': The previous employer has to specify the date in the Electronic Challan and Return (ECR). If this is not provided on time, the new establishment allocates a new UAN to the employee.

It is illegal to have two UANs at the same time. A member should have only one UAN, and all the EPF accounts must be linked with it. Therefore, an EPF account that is linked with one UAN will be transferred to another EPF account linked with a different UAN.

Merging Procedures

If there are two UANs, the previous account must be deactivated. The deactivation can be carried out by two methods, which has been described below:

Method I

Step 1: Report the Issue The employee has to report this issue to the employer or the EPFO on an immediate basis. Step 2: Send an email The employer has to respond by sending an email to EPF officials. Step 3: Verification EPFO conducts enquiries for this issue. Step 4: Activation of the UAN The previous UAN will be blocked, and the current UAN will be kept alive. Step 5: Submitting a Claim The employee has to submit a claim to transfer the EPF account that is linked with the blocked UAN to the active account.

Method II

The above-mentioned method is a time-consuming process, and the resolution rate is very low. Therefore, EPFO has developed a new mode by which it will be easier for a member to merge two UANs. Method II is explained below for your reference:

Step 1: Application to Transfer EPF The concerned members must first apply for a transfer of old EPF to the new one. The EPFO's system automatically identifies the EPF accounts of the employee which is to be transferred. Step 2: Identification of Accounts Once the account is appropriately identified, old UANs for EPF transfer will be processed to a new EPF account that has a different UAN. The previous UAN will be deactivated by EPFO. Step 3: Blocking of UAN Once the old UAN is blocked, the employee's previous member ID is linked to the current UAN. Step 4: SMS Notification The deactivation status will be notified to the employee through an SMS. Step 5: Activation of the Account If the employee has not activated the new UAN, he/ she will be requested to activate it to get the updated status of the account. Step 6: PF Arrears The employee may now claim for the PF arrears from the previous employer. Step 7: Auto-Population of the UAN Number The system auto-populates the new UAN number in the ECR. Step 8: Receiving Arrear The employee receives the new PF account, linked with the new UAN.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about UAN Merging Procedures for EPF Compliance in India.

A UAN (Universal Account Number) is a unique 12-digit number assigned to each employee who is a member of the Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO). It is used to track an employee's Provident Fund (PF) contributions and withdrawals across different employers.

According to the provident fund rules, an employee should possess only one UAN account. Having multiple UANs can lead to confusion and complications in managing an employee's PF contributions and withdrawals, as all EPF accounts must be linked to a single UAN.

An employee may be assigned multiple UANs due to reasons such as not disclosing their previous UAN to the new employer, or the previous employer not furnishing the 'Date of Exit' on time, leading the new establishment to allocate a new UAN.

There are two methods for merging multiple UANs. The first method involves reporting the issue to the employer or EPFO, followed by a verification process and deactivation of the previous UAN. The second method is an automated process where the employee applies for a transfer of the old EPF to the new one, and the EPFO system automatically identifies and transfers the accounts, deactivating the old UAN.

In the second method, the employee applies for a transfer of the old EPF to the new one. The EPFO system identifies the accounts to be transferred, processes the transfer to the new UAN, deactivates the old UAN, and notifies the employee via SMS. The employee can then claim PF arrears from the previous employer, and the new UAN is auto-populated in the ECR.

Yes, it is illegal to have multiple UANs at the same time. The provident fund rules state that a member should have only one UAN, and all EPF accounts must be linked to that single UAN.

After the merging process, the previous UAN is deactivated or blocked by the EPFO, and the employee's previous member ID is linked to the current, active UAN.

Yes, after the merging process is complete, the employee can claim PF arrears from the previous employer using the new, active UAN.

The EPFO notifies the employee about the deactivation status of the old UAN through an SMS.

If the employee has not activated the new UAN after the merging process, they will be requested to activate it to get the updated status of the account.