A person may change multiple jobs in their career until retirement. Each employer may give a different employee ID to the person. So, imagine the situation during retirement! A person may struggle with keeping details and ID of each employer. Not only this, but it may also impact their EPF (Employees' Pension Fund) benefits.
To solve this problem, we have UAN. It stands for Universal Account Number, which is unique to each employee. So, even when an employee switches their job and company, the UAN remains the same. It is like an umbrella number that includes the various employee IDs that a person may get throughout their career. This guide will help you learn, its purpose, benefits, and services that it offers.
What is a Universal Account Number (UAN)?
The Universal Account Number is a 12-digit individual number assigned to each employee who is contributing to the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF). It is provided by the Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) and authenticated by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India. The number remains constant for an employee's entire career, regardless of the number of times they shifts jobs.
Whenever an employee becomes a part of a new company, a new EPF account or member ID gets generated and becomes associated with the already available UAN. This facilitates EPF withdrawal and transfer. The UAN is like an umbrella that covers all EPF accounts maintained by the employee.
Purpose of UAN in EPF Management
The Universal Account Number (UAN) is meant to streamline and organize your Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) better. Its primary goals are:
UAN does not change throughout your working life, even if you have as many jobs as possible. Any new employer simply connects a new PF account to the same UAN.
It allows you to maintain all your PF accounts under one umbrella, thus preventing confusion due to multiple PF numbers.
Smooth Transfers and Withdrawals
Transferring the balance in your EPF or withdrawing it becomes extremely easy and rapid with UAN.
You can view your EPF balance, download passbooks, change details, and raise claims online through your UAN.
UAN gives the power to employees to monitor employer contributions and provides greater transparency in funds.
How to Find and Activate Your UAN?
There are three different ways in which you can find your Universal Account Number. These are explained below:
When you are a first-time joiner in a company, your employer gets you registered with EPF. The EPFO allocates a UAN and informs the employer. You can obtain your UAN and member ID from your employer or HR—assuming the employer is registered with EPFO.
Your employer is likely to include the UAN on your salary slip. Just look at your recent salary slip to find it.
If you don't have your UAN through the above steps, you can obtain it online:
Step 1: Go to the EPFO/UAN portal.
Step 2: Click on 'Know your UAN'.
Step 3: Fill in your registered mobile number and captcha, and click 'Request OTP'.
Step 4: Fill in the OTP, then enter your name, date of birth, PAN/Aadhaar/member ID, and captcha.
Step 5: Click 'Show My UAN' — your UAN will be displayed on the screen.
Services Offered Through UAN Portal
EPF account holders can view a number of useful features on the UAN portal. These are:
On the 'View' tab, users can view personal information such as:
UAN number, name, date of birth, gender
Father's or husband's name, contact information (mobile and email)
Marital status, qualification, current and permanent address
Status as an international worker or differently-abled
Displays a record of all PF numbers issued by various employers against a single UAN. This facilitates tracking job changes and associated PF accounts with ease.
You can download and view your UAN card at any time for ready reference or official purposes.
Allows you to view detailed contributions to your EPF and EPS. To see it, log in using your UAN, password, and captcha. It displays monthly contributions, dates, and overall balance.
Benefits of UAN for Employees
The striking benefits of UAN for employees are:
Even if you shift jobs, UAN remains the same. Your all PF accounts with various employers fall under a single UAN.
It is easy and convenient to transfer your EPF balance while shifting jobs through UAN.
You can view your balance, download your passbook, change your KYC details, and submit claims online through your UAN.
You are able to monitor monthly contributions provided by your employer, ensuring that your PF is being credited periodically.
UAN-connected accounts enable quicker and smoother handling of PF withdrawal claims.
As soon as your UAN gets activated and KYC gets updated, you receive SMS alerts for monthly contributions
Documents Required for UAN Registration
To register for UAN, you require certain documents. These are:
Aadhaar Card
PAN Card
Bank Account Details
Photograph
Employment Details