Claiming your EPF and ETF

Getting your EPF & ETF

So you worked hard for some time and now you need to get your EFP AND/OR ETF. You'd expect this to be a straightforward process. And it is if your name records in the Central Bank has been entered correctly. But for what I've heard from people who've tried to withdraw or check their EPF balance over 90% of the time there is an issue with their name. For example if you have worked in 3 companies and check our EPF balance under your NID number maybe only 1 companies EPF balance shows. Reason is the name has been entered incorrectly (mismatch with your NID) for the other 2 companies.

If you have tried registering online to check your EFP and got a record against a company saying "Rejected due to name mismatch" that means the aforementioned issue exists.

Here are the steps you need to follow to withdraw your EPF/ETF.

Disclaimer: The information listed here is correct and applicable as at June-2017. The procedures and requirements may change in the future.

First let's look at the EFP process:

Checking whether your name has been registered properly:

First you need to check whether you name has been correctly entered in the Central Bank records for each company. To do this you need to go to the ETF department in Narahenpita (yes the ETF department has a section for EPF information on the 8th floor, and the EPF claims section on the Groud floor) - https://goo.gl/v9MKqE

Now when you get there and if you mention EPF the security at the Ground Floor will ask you to go to Central Bank. Simply walk in without interacting with anyone or tell them you are going to the 3rd floor for an ETF matter (about ETF later).

Go to the 8th floor and you will find a room with a notice saying "Public Information Counter" (or something like that). Present your B-cards and NID to them and they will check whether each company record has been registered with your correct name/NID with the EPF department. They will also tell you your EPF balance. If there is a discrepancy they will tell you which companies has the issue and the directions to follow in order to get it corrected. Make sure you write down the names listed under each company; you can get their help to determine what the correct needs to be.

The name could be either the full name or name with initials, whatever it is it needs to be identical across all companies.

e.g:

if your name is Theodore Evelyn Mosby it could be written either the same way or as T.E Mosby. Either Way it needs to match what’s on you NID (with or without initials it doesn’t matter) and needs to be identical across all companies EPF registrations.  

If there are name discrepancies you need to follow the steps given below (they will tell you what’s needed, the information in this blog is correct as at June-2017):

Basically you need to get a letter from each company/employer that there is a name issue with. The letter needs to state that you holding NID number nnnnnn has been registered with the EFP department under the name xxxxxxx, his/her name according to NID is yyyyyyy and xxxxxx & yyyyyy are one-and-the-same person. Apart from this you need signed copies of your NID and B-card from each employer.

So basically if you need to rectify your EPF registration name under any employer you need to obtain the above and go through the following steps

Getting your name corrected:

As mentioned above lets re-cap what you need to amend your EPF name record

1. Letter from each employer (only the ones where your name has been registered incorrectly)

2. NID copy signed by employer (one signed copy for each employer)

3. Signed B-card from each employer

Now you need to go to the EPF department in the Lloyds building in Fort (https://goo.gl/GjcKbS). When you go don't go to any of the immediately visible queues. Go to the reception and inform you need to get a name correction done. They will give you a number and direct you to a section in the ground floor called ‘Member Inquiries’. Go there and they will examine your documents clip them together and ask you to get it sealed from the reception and go to the Central Bank's Record Amendments Division (RAD).

Get this sealed by the Reception and go to the Central Bank. The reception will direct you to the Record Amendments Division.

Submit your documents and they will ask you to wait until they fix it. Be seated but keep your ears open since they will be calling your name. Once done they will print an invoice for each company.

And keep in mind that this section is like a typical government office with a lethargic feel, and they have a tendency to screw things up (yes it’s ironic since you had to go there since someone else screwed it up in the first place). There is a possibility they either misspell it again or hand over your receipt to someone else (e.g if there are 2 people with the same or similar names; they may also mispronounce your name). The above has happened, so be mindful of the name callouts and before you walk away with the receipt (confirmation slip for name change) please read it and make sure your name has been spelled/corrected properly. You can also check whether the names are uniform across all companies and whether any more differences exist when you are collecting the receipt.

Remember: if you submitted documents to correct the name under 2 companies you need to get 2 printed invoices. If you get only one tell them that you submitted more than one and they will find the other one and do it ahead of queue. Once again read these carefully and make sure everything is correct and the name is identical and similar to the NID across each and every company.

Claiming EPF:

Once your name is corrected you can fill the EPF claim form (Form K available to download or can collect it from the 8th floor at Narahenpita ETF office) and get it signed by your last employer. You will also need to get a copy of your NID and the details page of your bank account or a  statement  (of the account you have entered in the form) signed as well.

To submit the claim forms you need to go to the Ground Floor of the ETF department Narahenpita (https://goo.gl/v9MKqE). Just as you enter on the right side you’ll find a door labeled EPF. First you need to get a token from there. They will do a rough check on your docs and give you another form to fill along with another number token. This token is for the counters for where you need to submit the claim forms (in the same room).

What you need to take:

1.   EPF form filled and signed by the last employer along with signed copies of the NID and Bank details

2.   The original B-card
3.   Your NID

4.   Any other documents mentioned in the information leaflet given with the claim form **
   

** In case of migration you need to take a printout of the PR Visa grant with you, take your passport as well. The information leaflet asks you to bring a photograph, however in my case they took a photo then-and-there using a webcam.

If you are having Spouse Migration Visa:
Since the spouse visa is a temporal visa they will require proof of your relationship to the PR holder. For this you need to take a copy of your marriage certificate, a copy of your partners PR visa and a copy of his/her passport as proof.

It will take up to 3 weeks to remit the funds. However, if you are in a hurry you can submit a letter requesting to remit it early. However, there is no fast-track process for EPF and you cannot guarantee whether such a request would be considered.

Claiming ETF:

For ETF the process is easier than EPF. The reason is that ETF is handled by the ETF department itself, unlike EPF which is managed by the Central Bank (though there is a separate EPF department).

Go to the 3rd floor in the ETF department at Narahenpita. Show your NID and they will tell you the balance and direct you with what to do. If there is a name mismatch (which there will be 99% of the time since the talented Government Data Entry Operators are incapable of performing a simple job such as entering what is on a sheet of paper the same way into a computer) you can get it corrected from there itself.

Forms:

When you visit the ETF department collect forms for ETF and EPF. For ETF get a form for each company you worked in. You can get ETF forms from either the 3rd floor or the counter outside of the building. For EPF you can get the claim form from the 8th floor. All of these are available online to download as well.

For ETF you need to get a form signed from each employer you worked for. There are 2 types of forms: Form VI and a shorter form called VI-A. Technically form VI needs to be filled by the last employer and VI-A by previous employers. However, it is ok to get form VI filled by previous employers as well. In my case I got VI filled by all employers. You may have to visit each employer to provide your thumb print if you are getting form VI filled. Better talk to each employer beforehand, they may have their preference.

What you need

1.    ETF form filled by the employer

2.    Signed copy of the NID by each employer

3.    A copy of the details page of your savings account or a statement

Claiming:

As you enter the ETF department in Narahenpita the ETF claiming room is on the left (opposite the EPF room). This room is for normal services that may take up to 3 weeks. There is also an express service. The entrance to this section is not through the main entrance but you need to go past it (ask the security in the ETF claims section and they will direct you to the express section).

Express claims:

Express claims costs Rs. 2000/= and is done within 3 days. But the catch is if the last month (or two months) ETF has not yet being received by the department you will not get those months remittance. And once done by express claims you cannot claim the amount for such months even after they are received by the department (they are lost forever). However, if you are migrating there is good news:

In case of migration:

If you are migrating and you are in a hurry to get your money you can get it done fast track through the normal process (within 4 days) without losing the last 1 or 2 months remittance. For this you need a copy of your PR visa grant as well as air tickets (even if you have not yet booked the air tickets speak to them and explain your situation). For this go to the 1st floor and talk to an executive (usually someone with such authority to override the process will be in a office room on the left hand corner on the 1st floor).

Once again the information here is valid as at 30th June 2017. These may change in the future, always visit the EPF/ETF departments and get the exact information and refer to the latest information leaflets.

-- Cheers --