EPFO launched Online Help Desk to trace Inoperative Accounts

Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on 18 February 2015 set up an online help desk to trace subscribers of such inoperative accounts and seek final settlement. There are about 8.15 crore inoperative provident fund accounts with a balance of 27000 crore rupees.

The online help desk was launched by the Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya on the occasion of Shrameva Jayate programme under the directions of Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi.

These online helpdesk can be accessed through EPFO’s website. While accessing the website, the member will have to:
• Provide the known details of his/her employment in a specially designed proforma which will include establishment code, PF account number, address, state, city, date of joining and others
• They will have to provide personal information like name, mobile number, date of birth and others
• The members are supposed to provide the information to the extent available with them.

Thereafter, a reference ID is created for future reference and tracking. Based on the reference ID generated, the field office concerned (where the member held his PF account) shall contact the member and guide him for getting the settlement or affecting the transfer as the case may be.

What are Inoperative Accounts?
The inoperative accounts are those accounts wherein the contribution has not been received for 36 months. EPFO had stopped payment of interest to such accounts from 1 April 2011.