How to Withdraw EPF and EPS After Leaving a Job – Complete 2025 Guide

• EPF and EPS are different benefits: EPF is an accumulated fund balance, while EPS creates a pension entitlement.
• A member who resigns normally has to remain unemployed for two months before claiming a full EPF settlement.
• The EPS withdrawal benefit is generally available when the eligible service is below 10 years; members with 10 years or more normally receive a scheme certificate or pension.
• For an online claim, the member’s UAN must be active, and the required Aadhaar and bank details must be available in the EPFO records.

Employees often speak of “withdrawing PF” as if the entire amount were subject to a single rule. It does not. The provident fund and pension components are governed differently, so the correct claim depends on the member’s service, age and employment status.

The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has implemented a social security scheme called the Employees Provident Scheme (EPS). This scheme makes employees working in the organised sector eligible for a pension after their retirement at the age of 58.

EPF (Employees’ Provident Fund) is the member’s accumulated provident fund balance. In the usual 12% contribution structure, the employee contributes 12% of basic wages, dearness allowance and retaining allowance, while the employer also contributes 12%. From the employer’s share, 8.33%, is generally diverted to EPS, and the remaining 3.67% goes to EPF.

The EPS (Employees’ Pension Scheme) is not a personal savings balance that is shown as a freely withdrawable amount. It provides withdrawal benefits, a scheme certificate, and pension rights under the Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995. Employer contribution to EPS is ordinarily calculated at 8.33% of pensionable pay, subject to the statutory wage ceiling of ₹15,000 for most members; this amount makes the usual maximum employer diversion ₹1,250 a month.

This distinction matters. A member may be eligible to withdraw the EPF balance but not the EPS component as a lump sum. For EPS, service below 10 years can qualify for a withdrawal benefit or a scheme certificate, while 10 years or more of eligible service normally leads to pension rights instead of a lump-sum EPS withdrawal.

Also Read: How to Calculate EPS Pension

A member who resigns and is not employed in another establishment covered by EPF normally has to wait for two months before applying for full settlement.

If the member joins another EPF-covered employer, transferring the account is generally the appropriate route. It carries the previous balance and service into the current account, which is important for the five-year tax test and EPS service continuity.

Step 1: Activate the UAN and check that the name, date of birth, date of joining and date of exit are correct. For an online claim, Aadhaar and bank-account KYC must be available against the UAN.

Step 2: Log in to the EPFO Member e-Sewa portal using the UAN and password.

Step 3: Open Online Services and select Claim (Forms 31, 19, 10C & 10D).

Step 4: Enter and verify the requested bank account details. Check the account carefully because EPFO credits an approved claim to the seeded account.

Step 5: Choose Only PF Withdrawal (Form 19) for final EPF settlement. If the eligible service is below 10 years and EPS withdrawal is required, choose the Pension Withdrawal Benefit (Form 10C).

Step 6: Complete the declaration, authenticate the request as directed on the portal and submit it. Eligible online Forms 19, 10C and 31 can be submitted without employer attestation when the portal’s KYC conditions are met.

For EPS withdrawal after leaving a job, first check the eligible service and age. A member with less than 10 years of eligible service may ordinarily apply for a withdrawal benefit or choose a scheme certificate. A member with 10 years or more cannot take the pension benefit as a simple lump-sum withdrawal; the member normally obtains a scheme certificate or claims pension when eligible.

Form 10C is used for EPS withdrawal benefits or a scheme certificate, while Form 10D is used for a monthly pension. A member aged from 50 to below 58 with at least 10 years of eligible service may claim a reduced pension through Form 10D. At 58, an eligible member may claim the regular pension through Form 10D.

A partial EPF withdrawal, commonly called a PF advance, may be available while the member is still employed for purposes permitted by the EPF Scheme. It is not the same as a final settlement.

The reasons for which the advance is granted are as follows:

Medical treatment: An advance for specified medical circumstances involving the member or family is permitted. The ceiling is the lower of six months’ basic wages plus the dearness allowance and the member’s own contribution with interest.

House or site purchase and construction: Five years’ membership is generally required for this advance. The limit for a site is the least of 24 months’ basic wages plus dearness allowance, the combined employee-and-employer contributions with interest, and the actual cost. For a ready house, flat or construction, the corresponding wage limit is 36 months.

A separate housing provisionallows up to 90% of the combined EPF accumulations for qualifying housing arrangements, subject to conditions that include at least three years’ membership, a minimum combined balance of ₹20,000 and use only once.

Housing-loan repayment: A minimum of 10 years’ membership is required for taking an advance for loan repayment. The ceiling is the least of 36 months’ basic wages plus dearness allowance, the combined contributions with interest and the outstanding principal plus interest.

Marriage and post-matriculation education: Seven years’ membership isrequired and the advance limit is up to 50% of the member’s own contribution with interest. The scheme permits no more than three advances.

In case of lump sum withdrawal, the fewer the number of years of service, the lower the amount a person will receive.

For claims covered by the amendment, completed months of contributory service are considered instead of only completed years. It also extended the withdrawal benefits to eligible EPS members with less than six months of contributory service who had not attained age 58 on 14 June 2024.

For a monthly member pension, the standard formula is:

Monthly pension = Pensionable salary × Pensionable service ÷ 70.

For example, using a pensionable salary of ₹15,000 and 12 years of pensionable service, the formula gives ₹15,000 × 12 ÷ 70 = approximately ₹2,571 a month.

A reduced pension may begin from age 50 for an eligible member with at least 10 years of service. The pension calculated for age 58 is reduced by 4% for every year by which the pension-start age falls short of 58.

An EPF payment is generally exempt when the employee has completed five years or more of continuous service. Service with a previous employer is included when the accumulated balance has been transferred to the current recognised provident fund.

Payment before five years can still qualify for exemption where service ended because of ill health, contraction or discontinuance of the employer’s business or another cause beyond the employee’s control.

Where the withdrawal is taxable, section 192A provides for TDS at 10% when the payment exceeds ₹50,000. TDS is only tax deducted in advance; the final tax treatment depends on the Income Tax Act and the member’s facts.

Accordingly, it is not correct to say that every lump-sum EPS or EPF withdrawal is automatically taxable. EPF and EPS payments must be examined under their respective tax provisions and the member’s service history.

Use the same UAN with the new employer. If the previous balance does not transfer automatically, log in to the member portal, open Online Services and select One Member – One EPF Account (Transfer Request). Form 13 is the prescribed transfer form.

Transferring instead of withdrawing preserves the service trail. This helps with the five-year continuous-service tax condition and allows earlier EPS service to be considered for future pension eligibility.

Also Read: How to Generate & Activate UAN Number?

Check that the date of exit has been entered, Aadhaar details match the UAN record, and the seeded bank account is active. Review whether an earlier PF account should be transferred first. Then select the claim that matches the benefit required: Form 19 for EPF final settlement, Form 10C for EPS withdrawal benefit or scheme certificate, Form 10D for pension, and Form 31 for a PF advance.

If the claim is delayed beyond the official settlement period or is rejected without a clear reason, check its status online and use EPFO’s grievance system, EPFiGMS.

The information contained herein is generic in nature and is meant for educational purposes only. Nothing here is to be construed as an investment or financial or taxation advice nor to be considered as an invitation or solicitation or advertisement for any financial product. Readers are advised to exercise discretion and should seek independent professional advice prior to making any investment decision in relation to any financial product. Aditya Birla Capital Group is not liable for any decision arising out of the use of this information.

Also Read: What Is Employee Provident Fund (EPF)?