You would be surprised at how many individuals experience this. You sign the joining documents, HR promises to “take care of EPF,” you shift employers, and your life continues.
Why having multiple UAN causes EPF transfer and withdrawal problems
When you eventually attempt to withdraw or transfer your EPF years later, you find that you have many UANs. or two passbooks are shown. Alternatively, one of your older EPF accounts just does not appear correctly. It first seems like a benign administrative problem. However, if you keep it that way, it may become a recurrent issue, particularly if you need the money or want your service record to be spotless.
How individuals get two UANs
Theoretically, you will always have your UAN. In reality, duplicate UANs are made for routine, dull purposes.
Occasionally, because you failed to share the previous UAN or because HR linked it incorrectly, a new employer generates a new one. Occasionally, your name appears somewhat differently in various papers. An older record may include an incorrect birthdate. Sometimes the system failed to “detect” that you were already in the database since Aadhaar was not connected at the time.
🆔 Duplicate UAN Problem Explained
- Issue: two uan numbers showing in epf passbook what to do
- Cause: Job changes, HR errors, Aadhaar not linked
- Risk: Delays in transfer and withdrawal
- Rule: EPFO allows only one active UAN
- Fix: epfo duplicate uan problem solution with online transfer process
Why you should not disregard this
Your EPF is often sitting in two different tracks if you have two UANs. You may only become aware of issues as a result.
Your employment path is incomplete, which might cause transfers to stall. Because the system highlights mismatches, withdrawals may take longer than expected. The simplest danger, however, is the largest: individuals forget that old EPF balances even exist. When you stop inspecting a tiny quantity left over from an earlier task, it might remain there for years.
The basic guideline is to have one active UAN.
The idea that EPF vanishes suddenly is not the point. The idea is that it becomes more difficult to access and simpler to ignore.
Contrary to popular belief, you do not “merge UANs” in the sense of merging two phone numbers. In reality, you move the EPF funds and service history from the older member IDs into the UAN you will stay active, which is often the one associated with your current employment. In order to prevent it from reappearing again, you then request that EPFO disable the previous UAN.
How to fix duplicate UAN number in EPFO step by step
Step 1: Determine your true UAN count.
Start with what you already know, such as your wage slips if they display UAN, previous offer letters, onboarding emails, and EPF SMS notifications. Next, determine which UAN each of your EPF passbooks is associated with. This typically surprises people since they thought there was only one.
It is still feasible if you are unable to reach one of the UANs due to an outdated cellphone number. Finding every account that exists is the only objective at this point.
Step 2: Select the UAN you want to retain
Generally speaking, you should use your present employer’s UAN as your “primary” UAN moving forward. You want that one to be active as it will get donations in the future.
It is best to handle older UANs as transient containers whose balances must be moved out.
Step 3: Verify your information before proceeding.
The majority of individuals waste time here. A mistake in the date of birth or an outdated surname are examples of minor discrepancies that might cause a transfer to fail.
Make that the KYC information under each UAN—name, date of birth, Aadhaar, PAN, and bank details—match exactly before taking any further action. If they don’t, have your employer assist you with resolving the discrepancies using the EPFO site. Although it is sluggish, it keeps the transfer from recovering.
Transfer the EPF sum to your active UAN in step four.
You may start an online EPF transfer from the previous member ID to the current one if the details match. Your employer will get this for verification. The EPF balance from the previous account is transferred into the passbook of the current UAN upon approval. Give it some time to think. It is common for the passbook to take some time to update, and EPF transfers are not instantaneous.
⚠️ Deactivate Old UAN Safely
- Goal: how to deactivate old uan and keep only one active uan
- Method: EPFO grievance portal request
- Requirement: Mention both UAN numbers clearly
- Timing: After successful EPF transfer
- Benefit: Clean service and pension records
Step 5: Request that EPFO turn off the previous UAN.
Once the sum has been properly transferred, submit a request on the EPFO grievance site requesting that the older UAN be deactivated while the new one remains valid. Clearly state both UAN numbers. By taking this action, you may prevent the “double UAN” problem from reoccurring when you subsequently request for withdrawal or pension-related procedures.
This causes people to panic, but you typically do not have to. You could still desire a clean and unified service history even if you took the EPF sum out of an old account. In order to facilitate future claims, it is nevertheless worthwhile to move whatever remains (including pension-related documents, if appropriate) onto the active track.
Frequently asked questions
1. Is having several UANs prohibited?
No. It is very frequent and not against the law. However, duplicate UANs must be eliminated to prevent future claim problems since EPFO regulations only permit one active UAN per individual.
2. Is it possible for EPFO to automatically identify and combine redundant UANs?
Occasionally, but not always. Duplicates have decreased because to Aadhaar connection, however EPFO often only takes action in response to requests or grievances. The issue may go unsolved for years if you wait.
3. What happens if my former employer is closed or refuses to cooperate?
You are still able to continue. Aadhaar-based authentication may be used to start EPF transfers online, and EPFO can act via a grievance request even in the absence of employer engagement to deactivate duplicate UANs.
4. I had previously taken EPF out of a previous UAN. Is fixing it still necessary?
Yes, ideally. Service history and pension (EPS) records may remain disjointed even if the amount is zero. Resolving this can prevent issues with future pension claims or withdrawals.
5. How would my present EPF contributions change if I correct numerous UANs?
No, the procedure does not halt or lower continuing EPF payments as long as your present employer is making contributions to the appropriate UAN.
In conclusion
Ignoring many UANs might subtly complicate your financial situation, but having multiple UANs is not a catastrophe. EPF problems often arise when you really need the money, not when things are going well. Identifying duplicate UANs, matching your information, moving balances, and deleting obsolete records are a few proactive procedures that may save years of trouble down the road. One individual, one UAN, one spotless EPF trace. That is the objective.
Disclaimer
This article does not provide financial or legal advice; it is just intended for general informational purposes. EPFO policies and practices are subject to change. Before acting, always check information on the official EPFO site or speak with your employer or a trained expert.
