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Universal Account Number , popularly known as UAN, is allotted to everyone who withdraws their salary. It was introduced in 2014 to make the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) portable. The Government has made it mandatory to have UAN for any individual having an EPF account.
What is UAN?
Universal Account Number (UAN) is a unique 12-digit identification number. It is allocated to every employee of the Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO). The member is allotted only one UAN, and all the EPF accounts of this member should be linked to it. The Universal Account Number (UAN) is provided by the Ministry of Labor and Employment.Despite a change in the job, the UAN of the member of EPFO remains the same throughout their life. Each time the person changes jobs, the new EPF account opened by the employer has to be linked to this UAN number. Thus the UAN acts like an umbrella where multiple IDs can be added. It also helps to make withdrawals and transfers of the balance of EPF.
How to Generate the UAN Number for EPF?
When an owner of a company or an organisation hires more than 20 people, UAN has to be generated for each. If the employee already has a UAN, it must be shared with his current employer. However, if UAN hasn’t been assigned, it must be generated. The generating of UAN can be done by following a few steps, these are:
- Use the credentials (establishment ID and password) to log in to the employer portal of EPF.
- A ‘Register Individual’ tab can be seen in the Member Section' tab. Click on this tab.
- Enter the employee's bank details, Aadhar number, PAN number, etc.
- Approve these details in the ‘Approve Section’.
- EPFO generates a new UAN. The employer can then link the employee's EP account to this UAN.
Once the UAN is generated, it should be shared with the employee and the details of the PF (Provident Fund). The employees can know their UAN from the EPFO portal. To know the UAN, follow these steps:
- Log in to the EPFO portal at https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/memberinterface/ .
- Click on ‘Know your UAN’.
- Enter the registered mobile number and the captcha code, then click on the ‘request OTP’ tab.
- An OTP is immediately sent to the registered mobile number upon clicking this.
- Enter the OTP along with the captcha code. This process is for verification purposes.
- Enter the details like name, date of birth, PAN, Aadhaar, member ID, and captcha code for verification.
- Once these details are filled in, click ‘Show my UAN.’
If the employer does not generate the UAN for the employee, then it can be done by the employee from the EFPO portal. The employee's PAN, Aadhaar and member ID will be required. Follow these steps:
- Log in to the EPFO portal at https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/memberinterface/ .
- Click on ‘Know your UAN status’.
- Enter the details like name, date of birth, PAN, Aadhaar, member ID, and captcha code for verification.
- After this, click on the tab ‘Get Authorisation Pin.’
- An OTP is immediately sent to the registered mobile number upon clicking this.
- Enter the OTP and click on the tab ’Validate OTP and Activate UAN’.
- A new UAN will be generated for your EPF account, and the password will be sent to the registered mobile through sms.
- From now onwards, UAN and password will be required to log in.
UAN Number Registration
After generating the UAN, an individual should now register and activate it. Follow these steps to register.
- Visit the portal EPFO at https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/memberinterface/ .
- Click on the “Activate UAN-Based Registration” tab.
- Enter the UAN, EPF, and mobile number on this new page before clicking the Submit button.
- An ‘Authorisation PIN’ will be received through sms.
- Enter the PIN and submit it.
- A new page will open where a new password can be entered.
- The new user ID is the UAN. A new password can be created.
- The UAN is now registered and activated.
UAN Number Activation
Whether a person is new or has been working for a long time, everyone must ensure that a UAN is opened and activated. Once activated, one can access their EPF accounts online easily.
FAQS - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the UAN activation number ?
UAN (Universal Account Number) is a twelve-digit identification number issued by the Ministry of Labour and Employment. It is generated and allocated by EPFO (Employees' Provident Fund Organization). This UAN number is given to both employers and employees. In this account, both employers and employees contribute to the employee's provident fund. This UAN number, once allocated to the employee, remains the same throughout their life (employment years). The UAN is linked to the employee's EPF (Employee Provident Fund) account. Usually, the employer provides the details to the employee. However, employees can view it online by visiting the EPFO member portal. For convenience, some employers print the UAN on their salary slips.
How to activate UAN through SMS ?
There are two ways of activating UAN. It can be done on the UAN portal and can also be done through SMS. To activate through SMS, EPF (Employee Provident Fund) members should send an SMS to 7738299899 from their registered mobile number. The SMS typed should be EPFOHO ACT, “12 Digit UAN”, “PF member ID”. After typing this message, send it to 7738299899. There should be no space before and after the comma in the SMS.
Within 1 or 2 minutes, an SMS will be received confirming that the EPFO SMS service UAN has been activated successfully. As soon as the member is activated, they can access all UAN services through sms, such as access to their passbook, balance, and credit alerts.
Can we activate 2 UAN numbers ?
Having two UAN numbers is illegal. It is against the rules for an employee to have two UAN numbers. If the person is shifting jobs and joining a new organisation, the Provident Fund account should be transferred immediately. For this, the employee has to submit form 13 to the employer. The submission of this form will help in verifying and approving the details.
If an employee is allotted two UANs, then one of them should be deactivated (usually, the previous one is deactivated).
Two UAN numbers can be activated under two circumstances:
Suppose the employee should have disclosed the previous UAN and member ID upon joining a new firm. The new firm or employer opens a new UAN and EPF account.
Previous employers did not provide details of the ‘date of exit’. If not provided with this information, the new firm may allot another UAN to the new employee.
Is the UAN number and PF account number the Same ?
The UAN number and PF account number are not the same.
UAN is a permanent number that remains the same throughout your entire life. PF account number changes with a new job.
An individual can only have one UAN, whereas an individual can have multiple PF accounts.
All PF account transactions can be tracked through UAN. A PF number can only track transactions of a linked account.
It is easier to transfer or withdraw funds through UAN, whereas it is complex to withdraw or transfer funds using a PF number.
UAN is a 12-digit number, whereas the PF account number is alphanumeric.
UAN allows individuals to withdraw the entire amount from their PF account. On the other hand, funds can only be withdrawn with the number corresponding to the PF number.
Can we continue using the same UAN number if we switch jobs ?
An individual must continue with the same UAN number upon shifting jobs. This number remains the same based on the principle of one account, one subscriber. A new PF account is added to the UAN number. The balance of the existing PF account can be transferred to the new one.
Can we withdraw PF if I have two UANs ?
Every individual is allowed only one UAN. If two UANs are opened, the previous one needs to be deactivated as soon as possible. The entire PF amount in the previous UAN should be shifted to the newly created UAN.
Who can see the UAN details ?
Apart from the account holder, the employer can also check the employment history using their employee's UAN. In case of a job change, the UAN must be transferred to the new employer. An employer cannot withhold an employee's UAN.
Besides this, any individual having login credentials can access the UAN details. Thus, it is very critical to keep login details private from unknown people.
How to check PF balance without UAN ?
There are a lot of ways to check PF balance without UAN:
By giving a missed call from the registered mobile number to 9966044425.
Using the UMANG mobile application.
Using the EPFO online portal.·Sending an SMS to 7738299899 from your registered mobile number.
What happens to UAN after PF withdrawal ?
UAN is active throughout life. When a person changes jobs, UAN details are given to the new employer or firm to deposit the PF amount. The previous accumulated PF can be withdrawn, but the UAN remains active.
If the new UAN has been activated during a job change, the previous UAN needs to be deactivated. The entire amount in the previous UAN should either be withdrawn or transferred to the newly activated UAN.
How to merge the old UAN with the new UAN ?
If two UAN numbers are used simultaneously, one must be deactivated (usually the previous one). There are two ways of merging the old UAN and the new UAN. Here are a few steps to follow:
UAN Merging Method 1
EPFO or the employer should be notified when the employer becomes aware of a new UAN.
Regarding 2 UAN (the previous and the present one), a mail should be sent to uanepf@epfindia.gov.in.
EPFO will verify the information.
The previous UAN will be blocked, and the updated one will remain active.
After this, the EPF account linked to the blocked UAN needs to be transferred to the newly created account, which is active.
UAN Merging Method 2
EPFO members should request EPFO to transfer the EPF to the newly created UAN.
The EPFO system automatically identifies the newly created UAN on receiving the request.
After proper identification, the old UAN will be deactivated, and the previous member ID will be linked to the newly created UAN. It is intimated through SMS.
The entire identification process takes place at intervals.
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.
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