Employees usually transfer their Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) balance to their new employer when they switch jobs, but they overlook the fact that the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS) service history can sometimes remain unlinked due to errors or incomplete records.
Since EPS is service-based, if the ‘service’ isn’t transferred to the new job, it could lead to loss of pensionable years (10-year limit). This could impact pension eligibility and lower the retirement pension income under the Employees’ Pension Scheme 1995 (EPS-95), which is a mandatory social security program managed by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).
Hence, checking your EPS service records while switching jobs could be just as important as monitoring your PF balance. Here’s how a missing EPS service transfer can impact your retirement pension and what you can do to avoid unwanted problems later.
What should employees do after switching jobs?
To ensure that pension benefits remain intact, employees should:
Link previous Member IDs to the existing UAN.
Verify the date of exit.
Verify that PF transfer requests have been processed successfully.
Check whether the previous EPS service is reflected in the EPFO records.
Retain copies of appointment letters, relieving letters, and transfer acknowledgements.
Keep Form 10C ready if an employee wants to claim withdrawal benefits before completing 10 years of pensionable service.
How can employees transfer EPS service history?
Even after withdrawing or transferring the entire PF corpus, transferring the EPS service history is mandatory.
Failing to do so can result in a lower monthly pension on superannuation, difficulties in early retirement and your employment history under EPS is recorded as separate, disconnected service periods with different employers instead of being combined into one continuous pensionable service record.
So by following the steps below, you can transfer the EPS service history online.
- Log in to the EPFO member portal using your Universal Account Number (UAN) and password.
- Navigate to the Transfer Request tab and click on online services.
- Now select the transfer request (Form 13) option
- Verify your personal details and enter the Member ID or UAN of your previous account.
- Now select your current employer as the transferee, fill out the necessary declarations, and submit the request by choosing the attestation.
- Generate and enter the Aadhaar OTP to authenticate and complete the process.
- Once submitted, you can track the status under the ‘Track Transfer Request’ tab.
- Your EPS service history will be linked to your current EPF account once the application gets approved.
Offline option: If your employer is unavailable to attest to the EPS transfer request, you can manually file Form 13 with your employer or your local regional EPFO Office.
How to check whether your EPS service has been transferred?
Employees can verify their service history through the EPFO member portal using their UAN credentials. Key details to review include:
Previous and current member IDs
Correct date of joining and date of exit from past establishments
Service history records
Passbook entries and transfer claim status
Any mismatch should be brought to the attention of the employer and EPFO as early as possible.
How is a pension calculated if EPS service records are fragmented across multiple employers?
“Suppose you worked for six years with one employer and four years with another. If the first six years are not reflected in your EPS service history, EPFO records may show only four years of pensionable service. In such a case, you may not qualify for a monthly EPS pension despite having worked for a total of 10 years,” said Deepashree Shetty, Partner, Global Mobility Services, Tax & Regulatory Advisory at BDO India.
The EPS pension depends on total consolidated service. If records are not linked across jobs and fall below the 10-year threshold, pension eligibility is lost; even otherwise, fragmented service can reduce the final payout.
What documents are typically required to restore lost EPS service records?
If your EPS service records are missing, these documents can make the restoration process much smoother – UAN passbook, Form 13, past employer details and Joint employer verification, if required.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, tax, retirement, or financial advice. The rules governing the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS) are subject to change by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and the Government of India. Pension eligibility and benefits may vary based on an individual’s employment history, contribution records, and applicable regulations. Readers are advised to verify details through the official EPFO portal and consult a qualified financial, tax, or legal professional before making decisions related to EPF transfers, EPS service history, or retirement planning.
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