Our client had worked with four different employers over the last decade. Like most people, he assumed his PF would be waiting for him in full when he needed it.
But when he tried to withdraw his PF, he was shocked —
Only ₹1.29 Lakhs was available in his current PF account.
The rest of the amount — accumulated over several years — was nowhere in sight.
The Problem
When he tried to claim even that ₹1.29 Lakhs, his request was rejected by EPFO.
❌ “Passbook not proper. Please upload a stamped passbook and cancelled cheque.”
This looked like a simple documentation issue. But our deeper investigation uncovered a chain of unresolved PF transfers and missing EPS (pension) records:
- No PF transfers were ever initiated from the earlier employers (Company A, B, and C).
- Companies B and C were rejecting the PF transfer because they had no visibility of prior EPS membership from Company A.
- The client was stuck — unable to withdraw more than 20% of his actual PF balance.
The FinRight Solution
✅ Step 1: Clarified the Passbook Issue to EPFO
We submitted a clarification that the passbook mismatch was a known issue caused by Top Bank’s format — a common PAN-India problem.
🔹 Note: Today, a stamped passbook is no longer required if your bank account is correctly linked and verified in your UAN.
✅ Step 2: Filed Urgent Withdrawal of ₹1.29 Lakhs
Given the immediate financial need, we proceeded with withdrawal of the available balance while resolving the deeper issue in parallel.
Step 3: Initiated Backward Transfers
We created a multi-stage transfer chain to consolidate the full PF amount:
- Initiated PF transfer from Company A to D (latest account)
- Once completed, we requested the Annexure K from Company A — the official document proving prior EPS membership
- Shared the Annexure K with Companies B and C
- Re-initiated transfers from B and C to D, using the EPS proof from A
- Once all accounts were consolidated, we filed the final full withdrawal, since the client had been unemployed for more than 2 months
✅ Step 4: The subsequent follow-ups
Once both the withdrawal claim and the transfer requests were initiated, our work didn’t stop there.
Constant follow-ups were carried out — both to provide necessary explanations and to expedite processing.
🎯 The Result
- Full PF corpus across all 4 companies was successfully transferred to one account
- Withdrawal of 100% of eligible PF amount was completed in phases
- EPS service was also updated and preserved for pension eligibility
🔍 Key Takeaways
- Not Transferring PF Can Block 80% of Your Funds
Only the latest employer’s contribution is available unless older accounts are transferred.
Know how to consolidate your PF Accounts
- Transfer isn’t completed unless you submit Annexure K
Use Annexure K from a prior EPS account to prove eligibility and complete the chain.
If needing assistance in PF withdrawal/PF transfer or any issue related to PF, you can visit us at FinRight.
FAQ
1. What is Annexure K, and why was it important?
Annexure K is a document issued by EPFO when a PF transfer is completed. It contains service history and EPS details from the previous employer.
2. Can I withdraw the available PF while waiting for transfers from past employers?
Yes, you can withdraw the available balance from your latest PF account if you’re unemployed for more than 2 months.
However, make sure to use Form 31 (advance claim) and not Form 19 (full and final withdrawal)—
so that you can still transfer your past PF accounts later and withdraw the remaining amount after consolidation.
📝 Form 31 allows partial withdrawal while keeping the account active. Using Form 19 before completing transfers may block further claims.
3. What if EPFO doesn’t process my transfer or claim quickly?
EPFO often requires nudges and explanations. Just submitting the forms is not enough. In this case, we used constant follow-ups, clarifications, and grievance escalations to ensure timely approvals.
