PF Form 19

Under the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1952, an employee has to make a specific contribution of remuneration to the provident fund account, and an equal contribution has to be made by an employer. Withdrawals under this scheme require an EPFO member to fill up a handful of forms, PF Form 19 being one of them.

What is PF Form 19?

PF Form 19 has to be filled when a member wants to go for a final settlement of his/her PF account. It is only applicable to employees who do not have a Universal Account Number (UAN). PF Form no 19 can be filed without a UAN, and the member will only have to mention his/her PF account number. This form will be used to claim a final settlement of the PF account or to avail of pension withdrawal benefits.

There are various types of PF Forms available, serving different purposes. These forms have to be duly filled and then submitted to the EPFO to get the desired outcome. All forms are available on the EPFO or Employee Provident Fund Organisation Portal which can be accessed using the UAN or Universal Account Number. 

Check out the different types of EPF forms, each one with a different purpose.

Who Should Fill PF Form 19?

EPF Form 19 will have to be filled up by an employee holding a provident fund account. The form is used only for withdrawing EPF amount at the time of retirement or when an employee quits. 

Also, if an employee exits a job, he/she will have to be unemployed for at least two months to utilise this form for withdrawal. However, if an employee switches jobs from one organisation to another, his/her PF amount will be transferred from a previous account to the present one.

What are the Details to be Filled in PF Form 19?

EPF Form no 19 is a 2-page-long form, and members are required to fill in the following details –

1. Provident Fund account number.
2. Bank account number and IFSC code (It has to be the same account registered with one’s current employer).
3. Joining and exit date of employment.
4. PAN details.
5. Form 15G/15H.

Other details that a member needs to fill out include their full postal address, a preferred method of remittance (cheque/ money order/bank details), and revenue stamp of Re. 1. He/she will also have to submit a blank canceled cheque for bank account verification.

How to Fill Form 19 for PF Withdrawal?

• Login to the EPFO website with your Universal Account Number (UAN), password, and captcha.
• Once logged in, click on the ‘Online Services’ tab. and select “Claim (Form – 31, 19 & 10C)”.
• Next, enter the last four digits of the bank account number linked with the provident fund account and click on ‘Verify’.
• Click on ‘Yes’ for the ‘Certificate of Undertaking’ pop-up.
• Next, select ‘Only PF Withdrawal (Form – 19)’ from the drop-down menu under the ‘I want to apply for’ option.
• Once the disclaimer page is displayed, check it and click on the ‘Get Aadhaar OTP’ option.
• The OTP will be sent to your registered mobile number. Enter it to verify.
• Once the submission is complete, you will receive a reference number for process completion.

After the employer approves the request, the PF amount due will be deposited in the member’s bank account. 

Prerequisites of Filling Form 19

• First, you must activate your UAN on the EPF member portal.
• Your bank account and PAN must be connected to your UAN.
• Your mobile phone number should also be linked to your UAN.
• Form 19 will not be displayed in your withdrawal form if you are not qualified for final settlement.

However, if Form 19 in PF is present in the alternatives, Form 10C will be as well.

Benefits of PF Form 19

The online process of claims submission for provident fund withdrawal under PF Withdrawal Form 19 does away with the requirement for employer’s attestation. Also, provident fund claims can be processed within up to 5 days after an online application. Note that the member’s Aadhaar number must be linked with his/her UAN.

The unified portal enables members to withdraw provident funds easily. Also, a single-page composite claim form facilitates the next phase of e-governance, making public services more transparent as well as efficient for the subscribers.

Limitations of PF Form 19

Even though employer attestation is no longer required for a member to withdraw the provident fund, the final settlement can only take place when the employer has updated the exit date of the member. If it is not updated, the provident fund department would be under the assumption that the member is still working for the employer, which can hinder the withdrawal process. 

In such a situation, the member can only have access to Form 31, which is for an advance refund. It is incumbent upon the member to ensure that the employer updates the exit of service. However, the member can update the date of exit on the UAN website without employer intervention only after 2 months of employment exit. 

How to Check the Claim Status

You can check the status using another method. This procedure consists of the following steps:

• Navigate to the Official EPFO Unified Portal. Enter your UAN number, password, and Captcha to log in.
• Then, under the ‘Online Services’ menu, pick ‘Track Claim Status.’
• You can now view the status of your claim.