Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) provides social security benefits to members of the Employee Provident Fund (EPF), where the employee and employer both contribute. EPF allows a member to withdraw funds under certain circumstances by submitting EPFO Form 19.

What Is PF Form 19?

Employees can withdraw the money contributed to the fund using Form 19 after they leave their jobs. It is used for a final account settlement and to receive pension benefits. If they don’t have a Universal Account Number (UAN), they can provide the EPF account number on Form 19.

In case of the death of a member, Form 20 is used. 

When Can One Use Form 19? 

Form 19 is for withdrawing funds from the EPF account when one leaves the service or is retired. However, if a person leaves a job and joins another employer with an EPF facility, they can transfer the EPF amount from the previous to the current employer. 

They must provide the withdrawal reason on Form 19. The reason for EPF account final settlement could be retirement after 55, retirement due to permanent or total physical or mental incapacity for work, voluntary retirement, migrating to another country for employment or permanent settlement, retrenchment from service, discharge from service under the Industrial Dispute Act, 1947, or resigned and not joined service anywhere offering EPF scheme.

ALSO READ: How To Know And Activate Your UAN Number For EPF Services? 

Essential Points To Remember While Filling EPF Form 19: 

Remember that EPF can be withdrawn only after two months of retirement or leaving the job. Form 19 can be filed online or offline. In offline settlement, the employee’s signature and the stamp are mandatory for settlement.  

Documents Needed And The Process: 

If filing offline, a member needs to enclose a cancelled cheque and IFSC branch code, a medical certificate in case of permanent or total incapacity, a visa, passport, and journey ticket in case of migration, and an appointment letter if one gets employment abroad. The form needs to be submitted by the last employer, and every page should bear the sign of both the employer and the employee if downloaded from the EPF website. 

ALSO READ: How To Update KYC For Your Employees’ Provident Fund? 

If filing an online application for EPF settlement, members should ensure that they have an active Universal Account Number (UAN) and that the Aadhaar, PAN, and bank details are seeded in the EPF account. For online application, a member needs to login to the EPFO member portal, go to ‘online service’, and select ‘Claim’. Then, enter the bank account linked with the EPF account, select the ‘Form 19, PF-withdrawal’ option, and click ‘Get Aadhaar OTP’. Once the OTP is entered in the given box, the request is complete. Once the employer approves it, the settlement amount is transferred to the bank account directly.