How to Merge Two PF Accounts

Employees have been given several Universal Account Numbers (UAN) in numerous instances in recent years. A person is only permitted to have one UAN during the course of their life, per the guidelines. The UAN of an employee is connected to his EPF account. When an EPFO member obtains two UANs, the prior UAN must be deleted, or they must merge two UAN accounts.

In this article, learn how to deactivate and merge two UAN accounts, why two UANs are allotted to individuals, and more. 

What is a UAN Number?

Each employee contributing to the Employees Provident Fund receives a 12-digit Universal Account Number (UAN). The Employee Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) develops and assigns this special number to the person concerned. According to instructions from the Indian government, the Ministry of Labour and Employment authorises UAN.

This number remains the same for every single person, regardless of how frequently they change jobs throughout the course of their careers.

Apart from knowing what a UAN number is, employees need to understand numerous linked components to utilise this UAN effectively.

Can Two or More UAN Accounts be Merged Online?

According to the regulations, any Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation member must have a single Universal Account Number. Nowadays, it is prevalent to have more than one UAN. Suppose an EPFO member has more than one UAN; the old UAN must be deactivated. Also, workers must transfer their Employees Provident Fund (EPF) balance to the member linked to the new account ID.

For the old UAN to be blocked and the balance to be transferred to the active UAN, you must inform your current employer about the problem. It can also be done online via the OTCPOCTP portal of the EPFO member portal.

Your UAN must be active on the Member Sewa portal before you may submit a request online to combine two or more EPF accounts. 

Here is a step-by-step guideline for merging two or more EPF accounts online:

Step 1 – Visit the Member Sewa website at https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in 

Step 2 –Choose ‘One Member – One EPF Account(transfer Request)’ under the ‘Online Services’ menu.

Step 3 – Your personal information will be displayed on the screen. Additionally, it will display information about the EPF account you have with your present workplace, into which past accounts will be transferred. 

Step 4 – You must have the old/prior account attested by your current or previous employer to transfer it. Employees may select verification through their current company for quicker transfer request processing. Enter the former PF account number, previous UAN, and old member ID. Then, select “Get Details.”

The information pertaining to your prior EPF accounts will appear on the screen.

Step 5 – Select “Get OTP.” Type in the OTP and press “Submit.” 

The merger request will then need to be approved by your current employer. Once your request has been granted, your old EPF account will be merged with the new one by the EPFO authorities. 

It’s important to bear in mind that to submit the online request; your former EPF accounts must comply with KYC requirements. 

The Process to Deactivate and Merge Two UAN Accounts

If an EPFO member has two or more UANs, they should deactivate the previous account. The EPF amount is often allocated to the new UAN, and the prior UAN is deactivated. The many techniques for deactivating a UAN are listed below:

Step 1

• You must inform the EPFO or your new employer of the problem if you have two UANs.
• You need to send a message to uanepf@epfindia.gov.in. The email must refer to both the old and the new UAN.
• The EPFO will carry out a verification to address the problem.
• The old UAN will be deactivated after the verification is finished.
• A claim must be made immediately to transfer the EPF amount to the new account.

Step 2

Compared with Step 1, the automatic second step of deactivating one of the UANs will take less time to finish. Following are the steps to deactivate one UAN:

• The transfer of EPF funds from the previous UAN to the new one must be requested by EPFO members.
• When an EPF transfer request is made, the EPFO system instantly detects the duplicate UAN.
• There will be periodic identification of the duplicate UAN.
• The old UAN from which the money is being moved will be terminated after completing the identification process.
• The previous EPF account will be connected to the new UAN after the UAN is automatically cancelled.
• The old UAN’s deactivation status will be communicated to the EPFO member via SMS.
• The employee will be given a request to enable the new UAN if it hasn’t already been done.
• The new UAN will be displayed in the ECR if the employee needs to receive any unpaid EPF contributions from his or her previous employer. Once this is done, the EPF arrears will be credited to the EPF account connected to the new UAN.

Why are Two or more UANs Allotted to Employees?

When an employee switches jobs, the new company creates a new EPF account for him or her. The employee’s UAN is automatically linked to their existing EPF accounts. Therefore, there are many chances that employees will receive a new UAN when they change jobs. There could be several factors involved in the allocation of a new UAN. Here are a few of the frequent explanations –

If an employee fails to disclose his prior UAN –

If an employee moves jobs and fails to disclose to the new employer his former UAN, he must provide them and the new company his EPF account number (Member ID). The employer may create a new UAN and PF account without disclosing this information.

The absence of “Date of Exit” disclosure by the former employer – 

The old employer must include the exit date in the Electronic Challan and Return (ECR) during the EPF transfer process to the new employer. If this information is not provided promptly, the new company can assign the employee a new UAN.

What Documents are Required to Merge Two UAN Accounts?

The Provident Fund can be moved from one account to another using Form 13. The employers must obtain this form from the employees before they may evaluate and approve the information.

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