What is EPF Form 20?
EPF form 20 is a form that must be submitted for the withdrawal of PF balance by the designated nominees of an EPF member who has passed away or is no longer mentally sound to continue their service. Under the Employees' Provident Fund scheme, employers are required to contribute 12% of the monthly salary of each employee towards their EPF account. Of this 12%, 8.33% is deposited in the employee's pension account under the Employee Pension Scheme and 3.67% is deposited in the EPF.
The account holder can claim the balance upon the attainment of 58 years of age (and retirement). They can, however, make the claim earlier under specific circumstances as can their designated nominees. In addition to the option to claim the PF balance, nominees are also eligible to file a claim under the Employees Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme. The designated beneficiaries under the EPF can be the member's spouse, dependent parents, dependent children, or any other nominee.
Purpose and Importance of EPF Form 20
EPF form 20 holds immense significance since it is instrumental to the settlement of the provident fund claims of deceased EPF members or members who have become mentally unsound and are unable to continue their employment. Furthermore, through this form, the nominees of the EPF member can claim the former’s provident fund balance. This can enable the EPF member’s family/ designated nominees to have financial security and (if applicable) bear the medical expenditure for the member (in case of illness or disability). EPF form 20 is, therefore, central to the smooth settlement of EPF claims.
Here are the key benefits of EPS form 20 for EPF members and their nominees.
- Seamless filing and processing of EPF claims
- Financial security for the EPF member and/or their designated nominees
- Avoidance of confusion in the claim process
Eligibility criteria for claiming EPF through EPF form 20
Now that we have discussed the meaning and significance of EPF form 20, let us discuss who can fill this form. EPF form 20 can be filled by
- The designated nominee of a deceased EPF member
- The legal heir of a deceased EPF member
- The guardian of an EPF member who is not mentally sound and, therefore, legally incapacitated
- The guardian of the designated nominee/legal heir of a deceased EPF member (when said nominee or legal heir is of unsound mind and consequently legally incapacitated)
Step-by-Step Guide to Filling EPF Form 20
Here are the steps you can follow to acquire and fill EPF form 20.
- Visit the official website of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation and download EPF form 20. Alternatively, obtain the form from any regional office of the EPFO.
- Fill all the particulars in the aforementioned form, including:
- Particulars of the EPF member
- Name
- Correspondence address
- EPF account number
- Father's name or husband's name
- Date of death/last date of service
- Member’s marital status at the time of death (in case of claims for deceased members)
- Reason for leaving service
- Address of the last employer
- Particulars of the person filing the Employee's Provident Fund claim
- Name
- Age (in case of deceased EPF members, this age must be the claimant's age as of the former’s date of death)
- Gender
- Relationship with the EPF member
- Father's name or husband's name
- Marital status of the claimant as on the date of death of the deceased EPF member
- Correspondence address
- Particulars to be filled by a person submitting the claim on behalf of an EPF member who is legally incapacitated or on behalf of a minor or legally incapacitated person who is the designated nominee or legal heir of a deceased EPF member
- Name
- Correspondence address
- Relationship with the EPF member or their designated nominee or legal heir
- Father's name or husband's name
- Requested mode of payment of the EPF amount (postal money order, bank cheque, or electronic fund transfer)
- Submit the duly filled and attested form to the EPF member's employer who shall forward it to the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation. All the required supporting documents must also be enclosed with the aforementioned form.
- Once the EPF form 20 has been submitted to the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation, the processing of the EPF withdrawal claim may take 10 to 15 days. In the meantime, you can check the status of your claim application by following the steps mentioned below:
- Visit the official website of the EPFO.
- Find a menu titled "Know Your Claim Status".
- Enter the required information (EPF account’s Universal Account Number and login password).
- Check your EPF claim status.
Required documents for EPF form 20 submission
Let us now discuss what documents are required to be submitted along with EPF form 20.
- Death certificate of the deceased EPF member (for claims submitted post a member's death by their designated nominee or legal heir (or the nominee or legal heir’s guardian))
- Court issued guardianship certificate (for EPF claims submitted by someone who is not the natural guardian of a deceased EPF member, their legal heir or designated nominee)
- EPF form 10D for claiming pension benefits under the Employee Pension Scheme
- EPF form 5IF for claims under the Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme
- Cancelled cheque for the remittance of the EPF claim amount
- EPF form 10C for a claim on the behalf of an EPF member who has passed away after attaining the age of 58 years but without completing 10 years of service (in the context of the EPF)
- Valid ID proof, address proof, and other necessary documents of the EPF member and/ or the claimant (in case the claim is filled by a nominee or legal heir or their guardian)
Submission process: How and where to submit EPF form 20
Once an EPF form 20 has been completely filled, it must be submitted to the EPF member's last employer. Each page of the form must be duly signed by the EPF member as well as the employer. The employer must then forward the duly signed and attested EPF form 20 to the relevant regional office of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation for further processing of the EPF claim.
Should the last organisation the EPF member had worked with no longer be operational, EPF form 20 can be attested by several designated authorities, including
- Gazetted officer
- Magistrate
- Bank manager (of the bank where the EPF member's savings account is operational)
- Member of parliament
- Member of legislative assembly
- President of Village Union or Village Panchayat
- Member of municipal board
- Postmaster
- Sub postmaster
- Regional committee of the Employees' Provident Fund
- Head of a recognised educational institution
Also read: EPF form 10C
Common Mistakes to Avoid While Filling EPF Form 20
While filling EPF form 20, you must be mindful of some key points and avoid making errors that may affect the successful submission and processing of the form. These errors include
- Not filling all the required information accurately, clearly, and completely
- Not filling the form in block letters or overwriting information
- Hiding material information in the form
- Not signing the form at all the required places
- Not enclosing the required documents with the EPF form 20
- Failure to ensure the attestation of the form in the correct manner
- Not mentioning the latest mobile number, correspondence address, and email address of the claimant
- Failure to submit a copy of the cancelled cheque of the bank account where the remittance of EPF balance is requested
To sum it up
EPF form 20 is a significant form that must be filled by Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) members or their legal heirs/ designated nominees. Not only is it important to fill the form accurately, but it is also critical to attach the required documents with the form and get it attested by the last employer of the EPF member (or an approved authority). You can obtain the form from the official portal of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation online or the regional offices of the EPFO. It is possible to check the status of your claim application online.