EPF Inoperative Account : Check if You Have Resigned From Your Company

Considering the number of customers and the number of financial transactions handled, EPFO is one of the largest social security organisations in the world. It currently maintains 24.77 crore accounts for its members. EPF account needs to be accessed occasionally; otherwise, the account becomes inoperative. This article focuses on information about EPF inoperative accounts and how to activate them. 

What is an EPF Inoperative Account?

An EPF inoperative account has not been operated in 3 years after leaving the company you were working in. EPFO requires an individual to contribute to the account and collect their funds consistently. If the member fails to do either for three years, their account will be deemed inoperable. If the amount remitted to a person has been undelivered or not been reclaimed, the EPF account is deemed inoperative. 

There are a few things you can do to prevent your EPF account from becoming inoperative:-

• Make sure that you are contributing to your EPF account regularly.
• If you leave your job, withdraw your EPF balance within three years.
• Make sure that your EPFO records are up-to-date.

If your EPF account has already become inoperative, you can reactivate it by contributing to your account. You can also request a withdrawal of your balance.

How to Activate EPF Inoperative Account

To activate an inoperative EPF account, follow the given instructions. 

Step 1: Visit the ‘www[dot]epfindia[dot]gov[dot]in‘ website for all your concerns regarding your EPF requirements. 

Step 2: Go to ‘Inoperative A/C Helpdesk’ on the Homepage. Register as a ‘First-Time User’. 

Step 3: You can access the form. Fill in within 1000 characters explaining your problem. 

Step 4: Click next and fill in the details of the following. 

• PF account number
• Company details
• Date of joining and resignation reason
• Enter contact and KYC details such as Aadhaar, PAN, IFSC code and bank account number. 

Step 5: After you have filled in all the required details, a pin will be generated through an SMS on your mobile phone. Post verification, a reference number will be generated. 

Step 6: After the complaint is filed, a representative from EPFO will call you to resolve your query. Just remember that giving a working mobile number is essential so the representative can contact you to settle the inoperative account query. 

EPF Inoperative Account Interest Rate

If your EPF account is inoperative, you will not be eligible to earn interest on your balance. You will also be unable to transfer your balance to another EPF account.

EPF Inoperative Account Rules and Regulations

Here are some of the rules and regulations about EPF inoperative accounts:

• An EPF account becomes inoperative if no contributions are made to the account for 36 months.
• Once an account is classified as inoperative, it will stop earning interest.
• If the account remains inoperative for over ten years, the remaining amount will be transferred to the SCWF.
• The EPFO will continue to pay interest on the amount in the SCWF account at the rate declared by the government.
• A member can withdraw the money from their inoperative account at any time by applying the EPFO.
• If a member does not withdraw the money from their inoperative account within 25 years, the government will forfeit it.

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