Last Updated on Jul 27, 2022 by Anjali Chourasiya
If you are a salaried individual, every month, you and your employer contribute an equal amount towards your EPF (Employees’ Provident Fund). Generally, you are only allowed to withdraw these funds on retirement. However, the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) allows you to make premature withdrawals from your EPF in certain cases. To that end, knowing your EPF balance can help you plan your finances well. Let us read four ways to check EPF balance.
Table of Contents
What is EPF?
EPF offers retirement benefits. Employees contribute 12% of their basic salary each month towards the fund. Employers also contribute an equal amount to the employees’ EPF. The fund is maintained by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).
According to the EPF Act, every organisation with more than 20 employees has to register itself with the EPFO. Every member of EPFO has a Universal Account Number (UAN). Employees give their UAN to their new employer in case of a job change. This way, employees do not need to create a new EPF account every time they switch a job.
Components of EPF
The scheme has three components:
- EPF – It helps employees accumulate retirement benefits.
- Employees Pension Scheme (EPS) – It provides a pension for employees after the age of 58 yrs.
- Employee Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme (EDLI) – It is a life insurance cover to offer financial security to the family members of the employees.
EPF deduction from your salary
While an employee’s entire contribution goes towards EPF, the employer’s contribution is distributed among the above components. Let’s have a look at the deduction.
The contribution of employees is calculated as:
- For EPF = 12%
- For EPS = None
- For EDLI = None
The contribution of employers is calculated as:
- For EPF = 3.67%
- For EPS = 8.33%
- For EDLI = 0.50%
The employee can contribute to EPF at a higher rate, but the employer is not compelled to do so. To pay contribution at a higher rate, a joint request from the employee and employer is required. In such a case the employer has to pay administrative charges on the higher wages.
The employee is no longer a member of EPS after attaining the age of 58. So, even if they are working after attaining the age of 58, the employer is not entitled to contribute towards EPS.
EPF interest rate for FY 2022-2023
The interest rate on EPF is reviewed each year by EPFO’s Central Board of Trustees after consultation with the Ministry of Finance. For FY 2022-2023, the interest rate is 8.10%, which is lesser than the previous year (8.55%). The new rate applies to EPF deposits made between April 2022 and March 2023.
The EPF contribution is credited to the EPF account every month, and interest is computed monthly. However, the total interest is credited once at the end of the financial year. The accrued interest at the end of the financial year is added to the next month’s balance, i.e. April’s balance, and is further used to calculate interest.
It is necessary to note that your EPF account becomes inoperative when no contributions are made to it for 36 months. No interest is paid on such accounts. Further, the interest accumulated on the dormant account is taxed at the member’s slab rate. However, interest is not paid on funds in the retired employees’ inactive accounts.
How to check the EPF balance?
Once a difficult task, checking the EPF balance has now become easy. There are various modes through which you can do this. Let’s explore them.
1. Check EPF balance via SMS
It is an offline method available only when your UAN is active and linked with your Aadhaar, bank account, and PAN. You are required to send an SMS to EPFO to fetch the information about your account. You need to send the SMS to 7738299899 in the following format:
EPFOHO UAN
The default language is set to English. Hence, you will receive the reply in English. For language-specific replies, you need to add language code in the SMS. There are 10 different languages you can receive the SMS in, viz.
| Language | Code |
| English | None (Default) |
| Hindi | HIN |
| Gujarati | GUJ |
| Punjabi | PUN |
| Marathi | MAR |
| Kannada | KAN |
| Malayalam | MAL |
| Tamil | TAM |
| Telugu | TEL |
| Bengali | BEN |
To receive the EPF balance in a language other than English, send an SMS like:
- EPFOHO UAN HIN to 7738299899
- EPFOHO UAN MAL to 7738299899
2. Get your EPF balance by giving a missed call
It is the easiest way to check your EPF balance. With your registered mobile number, give a missed call on 011-22901406. To use this facility, you must meet the below-mentioned requirements:
- Your UAN should be active.
- Your mobile number must be linked with your UAN.
- Your UAN must be linked with your PAN, Aadhaar, and bank account.
3. Enquire through Umang App
Umang is a centralised mobile app of the government through which you can avail numerous services, including EPFO. To check the EPF balance using the Umang App, simply log in to it using your UAN and One-Time Password (OTP).
Step 1: Install the application from a verified mobile app store, choose your preferred language in the app and log in with your registered mobile number.
Step 2: Under the ‘All Services’ tab, click on the ‘EPFO’ option.
Step 3: Select ‘View Passbook’. Here, enter your UAN and OTP sent to your registered mobile number.
Step 4: Click on ‘Login’, and you will be taken to your passbook, where you can view your EPF balance and transactions, including withdrawals and deposits from your previous and current employer.
4. Check EPF balance using the EPFO portal
The EPFO portal provides access to all the services related to EPF. However, you must have an activated UAN. Follow the below-mentioned steps to check your EPF balance using the EPFO portal:
- Visit the EPFO Portal.
- Under the ‘Our Services’ tab, click on the ‘For Employees’.
- Under the ‘Services’ column, click on ‘Member Passbook’.
- You will be directed to a login page which requires you to enter your UAN, password, and captcha. After entering the details, click on ‘Login’.
- On the next page, you will be able to check your EPF balance under the respective Member ID.
To sum up
EPF is a retirement fund that encourages you to save. Keeping track of your EPF account is necessary. If managed well, the EPF can be one of the vital cushions for your retirement life. You can manage everything related to your EPF using UAN.
FAQs
1. Can I check the EPF balance using my Aadhaar number?
There is no direct way to check your EPF balance through an Aadhaar number. You can check it using your UAN, which has to be linked to your Aadhaar.
2. How do I check my EPF balance?
There are four ways to check your EPF balance. You can check it via SMS, missed call, Umang App, and through the EPFO portal.
3. My mobile number is not linked with EPF. Can I check my balance through SMS without mobile linking?
It is necessary to register your mobile number with UAN in order to check your EPF balance via SMS. After registering your mobile number, send an SMS on 7738299899 in the format – EPFOHO UAN. The default language is English. You can change it using the various language codes while sending the SMS.
As an insatiable reader and learner, I’ve spent the last two years exploring the world of finance. With my creative mind and curious spirit, I love making complex finance topics easy and fun for everyone to understand. Join me on my journey as we navigate the world of finance together!
