When employed, a portion of your salary goes towards EPF to prepare a corpus for your retirement. However, if you’re unemployed and need to withdraw the funds for this fund, then you’re required to fill out form 10C.
What’s form 10C? Let’s find out.
What is Form 10C?
Form 10C is a form that employees must fill out and submit online or offline when they want to claim benefits under the Employee Pension Scheme (EPS). EPS is a retirement benefit system in which you invest a portion of your monthly wage, and the employer also contributes an equivalent amount to the employee's EPS accounts.
You can withdraw or transfer your pension amount when you change employment by submitting the EPS certificate.
Furthermore, if you cannot find a new job, you can request a withdrawal of funds by submitting Form 10C after 180 days of continuous service and before the conclusion of the 10-year service period.
Want to check if you're a part of EPS (Employee Pension Scheme)? Find out here.
Eligibility Criteria for Form 10C
You can withdraw funds from the EPS scheme in emergencies. However, your application will be rejected if you don’t meet the eligibility criteria.
You can submit a Form 10C application if you quit your job before serving your ten years of service and attained 58 years before doing so.
Anyone with at least 10 years of service who has not yet turned 50 or a member between the age of 50 and 58 who is not content with a reduced pension may submit a Form 10C application.
The nominee or family of the member who passed away before completing ten years of service and was older than 58 at the time of death may submit Form 10C.
Sections of Form 10C
Following are the details you must provide while filling out the application form.
Applicant’s name
Date of birth
Name of the father or the spouse (in case of married women)
Name and location of the establishment where the member recently worked
Details of the organisation (office code, establishment code no. and account number)
Date of joining the organisation
Date of leaving the job and reason behind it
Postal address
Details of family members and nominees - name, date of birth, relationship to member, and name of guardian (for minors)
Information about the candidate and member (in case of death of the member after attaining the age of 58 years without filing the claim)
Mode of transfer (postal order, cheque, or savings account)
The employer's and employee's signatures and the organisation's seal are required.
Pension settlement receipt on advance stamp receipt in a savings account
Scheme certificate (to be completed by the office of the PF commissioner)
How to Fill Form 10C?
Form 10C can be filled through online or offline modes. Below are details about the same.
Log in to the page using your Universal Account Number (UAN) and password.
Navigate to the "Online Services" tab.
Choose “Claim Form (Form-31, 19, 10C & 10D)” from the drop-down menu.
You'll be redirected to a new page. Your member, service, and KYC information will appear on the page.
Now, click on the "Continue Online Claim" option.
Next, you will be taken to the claims section, where you will find information about your PAN number, mobile number, account number, UAN number here, and so on.
Among the two options: "Withdraw PF Only" or "Withdraw Pension Only," select the claim type you want to submit.
Fill out the claim form carefully.
After filling out the form, an OTP will be sent to your registered mobile number.
Enter the OTP to complete the submission.
Once the form is successfully submitted, you will get a notification on your number.
Following that, it will take up to a few days to process your request.
Once the claim has been properly processed, the desired amount will be deposited into your bank account.
2. Offline Mode
Here are the steps to follow.
Visit the webpage of the Employees' Provident Fund.
Download Form 10C. You can also collect it from the EPFO office.
Fill out the form with the required details carefully.
Once the form is completed, submit it to the EPFO office.
Following your submission, it will take up to a few days to process your request.
Once your request is approved, the amount will be transferred to your bank account.
Documents Required for Form 10C
Here is the list of documents that need to be submitted with Form 10C.
Copy of cancelled/blank cheque
If applying for a Scheme Certificate, provide a copy of the member's children's birth certificates.
In the event of death, a death certificate for the member is necessary.
If the legal heir applies, a succession certificate will be issued.
An Rs.1 revenue stamp must be attached to the form.
Benefits of Form 10C
Here are the benefits of Form 10C:
1. Withdrawal Benefit
This certificate is given to candidates with less than 10 years of employment and less than 50 years as of the application date. However, the withdrawal benefit is unavailable if the membership is active for less than 180 days, excluding the non-contributing time.
2. Scheme Certificate
When you change employment and want to move your EPS funds to a new account, the EPFO issues a scheme certificate. However, you can only move the pension amount from one account to another using the scheme certificate if your service tenure has reached 10 years or more.
The certificate includes information on the member, such as service history, family information, nominees, etc. Since it includes the member's job history, it is also regarded as the official service record.
Attestation Process of Form 10C
You are required to submit your application through the company where you most recently held employment. Additionally, if you downloaded the application from the epfindia website, the applicant and the employer must testify to each page.
However, if the business is closed and the authorised signatory or employer is not available, you can approach one of the approved officials listed below for the same.
Magistrate
Gazetted officer
Post/ Sub-Post master
President of village union
President of the village panchayat
Secretary/ Chairman/Member of Municipal/ District Local Board
Member of Parliament/ Legislative Assembly
Member of Central Board of Trustees/ Regional Committee of Employee’s Provident Fund
Head of any recognised educational institution
Bank manager
Wrapping it up
PF funds are one of the important investments that are used for maintaining financial stability after retirement. Moreover, these funds can also be withdrawn in the event of medical or financial emergencies. Moreover, EPF falls under the EEE category, meaning the entire amount accumulated is not taxable, making it a win-win situation for you overall.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the use of 10C Form?
Employees may utilise Form 10C to withdraw their PF funds in the event of any emergency or for other reasons. This form can be filled out and submitted through online or offline modes.
2. What is the difference between Form 19 and Form 10C?
Both forms are significant in their own ways. Form 10C is filled out for pension withdrawal, whereas Form 19 is filled out for final PF payment for those who do not have a UAN number.
3.Who is eligible for the 10C form?
Here is the eligibility criteria for from 10C -
Eligibility Criteria I
A member who left job before the completion of 10 years of service
A member who obtained 58 years of age before completion of 10 years of service, whether in service or having left.
Eligibility Criteria II
A member though having completed 10 years of service, he has not attained the age of 50 years at the time application.
A member who is more than 50 years of age, but not exceeding 58 years, and not willing for getting pension at a reduced rate.
Eligibility Criteria III
Family members/ nominee/ legal heir of a deceased member who died after attaining the age of 58 years but with number of completed years of service less than 10 years.
4.What is form 10C in PF withdrawal?
Form 10C is a form that employees must fill out and submit online or offline when they want to claim benefits under the Employee Pension Scheme (EPS). EPS is a retirement benefit system in which you invest a portion of your monthly wage, and the employer also contributes an equivalent amount to the employee's EPS accounts. Furthermore, if you cannot find a new job, you can request a withdrawal of funds by submitting Form 10C after 180 days of continuous service and before the conclusion of the 10-year service period.
Disclaimer
Investment and securities are subject to market risks. Please read all the related documents carefully before investing. The contents of this article are for informational purposes only, and not to be taken as a recommendation to buy or sell securities, mutual funds, or any other financial products.
