The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) , on May 20, 2025 has issued a key notification simplifying the handling of Transfer Claim requests, particularly in cases involving overlapping service periods. The move is aimed at reducing unnecessary rejections and expediting the claims process for employees with multiple PF account numbers due to job changes.
What’s New?
It has been observed that regional EPFO offices were rejecting PF transfer claims where overlapping service periods were found in member records. However, the EPFO now clarifies that such overlaps may occur for genuine reasons and should not be treated as disqualifications for claim processing.
Key Highlights of the Notification:
- Transferor (Source) Offices are required to process transfer claims even when overlapping periods exist.
- Claims should not be returned or rejected solely due to overlapping services.
- If clarification is genuinely needed, only then should the office seek clarification before proceeding.
- Responsibility lies with the Transferor Office to verify member details to ensure error-free transfers, as reiterated in earlier circulars.
EPS (Pension) Entitlement
The EPFO also pointed out that the Pension Division has provided modalities for handling EPS entitlements in cases where members have multiple PF account numbers, reinforcing support for processing such claims smoothly.
Impact
This simplification will benefit thousands of employees who change jobs and may have overlapping employment records due to parallel payroll processing, delayed exit updates, or other legitimate administrative reasons.
EPFO’s proactive stance aims to bring greater transparency and efficiency in the transfer process and ensure member benefits are not delayed due to technical issues.
For detailed instructions, stakeholders and employers can refer to the official circulars on the EPFO website.
