Quick answer: You can withdraw your EPS pension amount as a lump sum only if your eligible service is less than 10 years. You do this by filing Form-10C on the EPFO Member Portal after you leave your job. If you exit before age 58, the claim generally opens 36 months after your last EPS contribution was due. If you have 10 or more years of service, you can't withdraw the amount. You get a monthly pension instead.
Key Takeaways
• Lump-sum EPS withdrawal is available only when your eligible service is under 10 years.
• Service of 9 years and 6 months counts as 10 years, so the withdrawal option closes there.
• You file Form-10C online through the EPFO Member Portal, using an Aadhaar OTP.
• If you exit before age 58, you have to wait 36 months from your last EPS contribution, or until you turn 58, whichever comes first.
• The amount is not your employer's contribution plus interest. It is your wages multiplied by a Table IV factor.
• PF (Form-19) and EPS (Form-10C) are separate claims, and they may become eligible at different times.
• With 10 or more years of service, Form-10C is used for a Scheme Certificate, and Form-10D for the monthly pension.
• A rejected claim does not mean you have lost the money. Most rejections come from record errors that can be fixed.
Every month, a big part of your employer's contribution goes into the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS), not your PF account. So when people leave a job and withdraw their PF, they often notice that the pension part hasn't come with it. The obvious question follows: can I withdraw that too?
Sometimes you can. It depends almost entirely on one number, your years of eligible service. This guide covers whether you qualify, how to file Form-10C step by step, how much money to expect and what to do if your claim gets stuck.
Can You Withdraw Your EPS Pension Amount?
EPF and EPS follow different rules. Your EPF balance is a savings account that grows with interest. EPS is a pension scheme, and how you get money out of it depends on how long you've been a member.
| Your eligible service | What you can do | Form to use |
|---|
| Less than 10 years | Withdraw a one-time lump sum | Form-10C (withdrawal benefit) |
| 10 years or more | No lump sum. Monthly pension from age 58, or a reduced early pension from age 50 | Form-10D (pension) or Form-10C (Scheme Certificate) |
Remember one thing before you file. Once you take the withdrawal benefit, that service period is closed for good. It won't count towards a pension later. If you plan to join another EPS-covered employer soon, you may be better off keeping the service alive with a Scheme Certificate. More on that further down.
Eligibility Checklist Before You File Form-10C
Check all of these before you start the claim:
- Your total eligible service is under 10 years. Six months or more is rounded up to a full year, so 9 years and 6 months is treated as 10 years.
- You have left EPS-covered employment. You can't claim the withdrawal benefit while you're still contributing to EPS.
- The waiting period is over. If you exited before age 58, 36 months must have passed since your last EPS contribution was due. If you turn 58 before that, you can claim at 58.
- Your UAN is active, and your Aadhaar and bank details are verified on the portal.
- Your date of exit is recorded for your last employer.
There is no longer a minimum six-month service rule. Even if you worked only a few months, you get a proportionate amount based on the months you completed.
Not sure your records are clean? Most Form-10C rejections come from small mismatches people only find out about after filing. Check your PF eligibility and errors with CheckMyPF before you submit.
Documents and Details You Need
Have these ready before you log in:
- Your UAN and portal password
- An Aadhaar-linked mobile number (the OTP comes here)
- Bank account number and IFSC, seeded and verified on the portal
- PAN, where applicable
- A cancelled cheque or a clear copy of your passbook, in case the portal asks for it
How to Withdraw EPS Pension Online: Step-by-Step Form-10C Process
The whole process takes about 10 minutes if your KYC is already in order.
Step 1: Log in to the EPFO Member Portal
Use your UAN and password, then enter the captcha.
Step 2: Check your KYC
Go to Manage > KYC and confirm that your Aadhaar and bank account are verified. Add your PAN if it's missing. If your bank details show as pending, wait for approval before you file.
Step 3: Open the claim form
Click Online Services, then Claim (Form-31, 19, 10C & 10D).
Step 4: Verify your bank account
Enter the last four digits of your registered bank account number and click Verify. Agree to the undertaking that appears.
Step 5: Choose the pension withdrawal option
Click Proceed for Online Claim. Under "I want to apply for", pick Only Pension Withdrawal (Form-10C). If your PF final settlement is also due, you will see that option there too.
Step 6: Fill in your details
Select the member ID of the employment you're claiming for, enter your address, and upload a cancelled cheque or passbook copy if asked.
Step 7: Submit with an Aadhaar OTP
Tick the declaration, generate the OTP, enter it and submit. You'll get an SMS confirming the claim was received.
Filing Form-19 and Form-10C: Together or Separately?
PF final settlement (Form-19) and EPS withdrawal (Form-10C) are two separate claims. People often expect to file both on the same day. Under the current rules they don't always line up:
- Full PF settlement generally needs 12 months outside EPF-covered employment, unless you fall under one of the specified exceptions.
- EPS withdrawal generally needs 36 months from your last EPS contribution if you exit before age 58.
So it's normal to withdraw your PF first and come back for the pension amount later. If both happen to be eligible at the same time, the portal lets you pick both.
What If You Can't File Online?
If your Aadhaar isn't linked, or your UAN isn't activated, you may have to use the Composite Claim Form (Non-Aadhaar) and submit it through your employer to the EPFO office. It is slower, so linking Aadhaar first and filing online is almost always the better route.
After You Submit: Timeline and Claim Status
Under EPS 2026, a pension claim that is complete and has the right documents should be settled and paid within 20 days of the Commissioner receiving it.
To track your claim:
- Log in to the Member Portal and go to Online Services > Track Claim Status, or
- Use the UMANG app and select the EPFO services section.
If the status hasn't moved in a few weeks, check whether the claim is waiting on your employer or flagged for a document. "Pending at field office" for a long time usually means something in your record needs fixing.
How Much EPS Amount Will You Get?
This is where most people are surprised. The withdrawal amount is not what your employer contributed, and it doesn't earn interest like your EPF balance. It is worked out with a fixed formula:
Withdrawal Benefit = Applicable wages × Table IV factor
The applicable wages follow the EPS rules, including the wage ceiling that applied during your service. The Table IV factor depends on how many months of service you completed. For reference, here are the factors at full years:
| Completed service | Table IV factor |
|---|
| 1 yr | 1.02 |
| 2 yrs | 1.99 |
| 3 yrs | 2.98 |
| 4 yrs | 3.99 |
| 5 yrs | 5.02 |
| 6 yrs | 6.07 |
| 7 yrs | 7.13 |
| 8 yrs | 8.22 |
| 9 yrs | 9.33 |
The actual table has a factor for every completed month, so 5 years and 4 months has its own factor and doesn't round down to 5 years.
Example: Rohan worked for 7 years (84 months). His applicable wages are ₹15,000.
₹15,000 × 7.13 = ₹1,06,950
That ₹1,06,950 is his EPS withdrawal benefit. It is paid separately from whatever is in his EPF account.
Why Form-10C Claims Get Rejected (and How to Fix Them)
A rejection is frustrating, but it rarely means the money is gone. These are the usual reasons:
1. Service history doesn't add up
Old member IDs that were never merged, or missing service periods, can make your total service look different from what it is. Transfer the older accounts into your current UAN first, then file again.
2. Date of exit is missing or wrong
If your employer never marked your exit, the portal can't treat you as having left. You can mark your own exit under Manage > Mark Exit, or ask the employer to update it.
3. Name or date of birth doesn't match Aadhaar
Even a small spelling difference can trigger a rejection. Depending on the field, you'll need a profile correction request on the portal or a Joint Declaration.
4. Bank account problems
An unverified account, a closed account or an IFSC mismatch will stop the payment. Update the details and wait for approval before you re-file.
5. Your last employer has shut down or isn't responding
If the correction needs employer approval and you can't reach them, approach the EPFO office directly or raise a grievance on EPFiGMS with whatever records you have: salary slips, an appointment letter or a relieving letter.
Always read the rejection reason on the claim status page first. It tells you exactly which of these you're dealing with.
Claim rejected more than once? Repeated rejections usually point to a record issue that needs fixing at the source, not just another attempt. Talk to a FinRight PF expert to find out what's blocking it.
Completed 10 Years or More? Here's What Applies Instead
Once you cross 10 years of eligible service, the lump-sum option is off the table. You have three routes:
- Scheme Certificate (Form-10C): If you plan to work again with an EPS-covered employer, this keeps your service record so it can be added to future service.
- Monthly pension at 58 (Form-10D): If you don't plan to return to covered employment, you claim a regular pension when you turn 58.
- Early pension from 50: If you've stopped working, you can start your pension from age 50. It is reduced by 4% for every year you are short of 58.
Is EPS Withdrawal Taxable?
The short version:
- Lump-sum withdrawal (Form-10C): Don't assume it gets the same exemption as an EPF withdrawal. Whether it is taxable depends on your situation under income-tax law. There is no Section 192A TDS on it, but you still have to report it correctly in your ITR if it's taxable.
- Monthly pension (Form-10D): Taxed as salary income. You can claim the standard deduction under the prevailing tax rules.
If the amount is large, a quick check with your tax advisor before filing your return is worth it.
From the above discussion, one crucial aspect pertaining to EPS withdrawal is the number of years of eligible service.
If the same is less than 10 years, a subscriber may opt for a one-time withdrawal benefit through Form-10C, subject to the applicable waiting period under EPS 2026. However, if 10 years or more of eligible service have been completed, the subscriber becomes eligible for the monthly-pension framework instead of a lump-sum withdrawal.
A regular monthly pension can be claimed upon attaining 58 years of age, while eligible members may opt for a reduced early pension from age 50. The other factors discussed above, i.e., calculation, steps, and taxability, will largely depend on which category you fall into.
Another important aspect here is that a ‘rejected’ status reflecting on a Form-10C claim does not automatically imply that the pension benefit is lost. If the member has already completed the required 10 years of eligible service, the withdrawal-benefit route is no longer available, but the service remains relevant for the Scheme Certificate/monthly-pension route as applicable.
While navigating these challenges and choosing your options, it is advisable to seek expert guidance to avoid multiple back-and-forth correspondences with the EPFO. Get a free expert consultation with FinRight’s consultants to make the right choice.
Want to be sure before you file? Run a free check on CheckMyPF to find errors in your account, or book a consultation with a FinRight expert if your claim is stuck.
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