EPFO revamps Form 13 to simplify PF transfers, launches bulk UAN facility without Aadhaar seeding

In a move expected to benefit over 1.25 crore members, the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has revamped its Form 13 software functionality to simplify the process of provident fund (PF) transfer claims.

Effective January this year, the EPFO eliminated the need for employer approval in most transfer cases, streamlining the PF account transfer process when members switch jobs.

Earlier, such transfers required coordination between two EPFO offices, the source and the destination, which often led to delays.

With the revamped Form 13 functionality, once a transfer claim is approved by the source office, the member’s previous PF account will now be automatically merged with the new one at the destination office, reducing processing time.

The system also introduces bifurcation of taxable and non-taxable components of PF savings, aiding accurate tax deduction at source (TDS) on interest earnings.

The simplified process is expected to facilitate annual fund transfers worth approximately ₹90,000 crore.

The EPFO has also launched a facility enabling employers to generate Universal Account Numbers (UANs) in bulk without mandatory Aadhaar seeding.

This will specifically aid members whose past accumulations were deposited by exempted trusts following cancellation of exemptions or as a result of recovery proceedings.

A new software functionality has been rolled out to field offices for generating UANs using available member information.

“However, as a measure of risk mitigation to protect the PF accumulations, all such UANs would be kept in a frozen state and subsequently made operational only after the seeding of Aadhaar,” an official statement read.

These initiatives are expected to streamline validations, support auto-settlement of claims, and reduce grievances related to PF account management and fund crediting.