EPF withdrawal forms: Form 19, Form 31, Form 10C, Form 10D — which one to use when

EPFO has streamlined its forms significantly over the years — the old system of 20+ separate forms has largely been replaced by a composite structure. But the four core claim forms remain distinct, each serving a different purpose. Filing Form 10C when you need Form 31, or submitting Form 19 when you should be submitting Form 10D, will get your claim rejected or delayed.

Here is the complete guide.

The four forms and what they do

Form	Purpose	When to use
Form 19	Final settlement of EPF account	Leaving the workforce; retiring; unemployed 2+ months
Form 31	Partial advance withdrawal	While still employed; emergency; specific advance purposes
Form 10C	EPS (pension) withdrawal or scheme certificate	Leaving a job with less than 10 years EPS service
Form 10D	Monthly EPS pension claim	Retiring after 10+ years of EPS service

Form 19: Final settlement

Use when: You are leaving employment permanently, retiring, or have been unemployed for 2 or more months and want to close out your EPF account.

Form 19 withdraws your entire EPF balance (both employee and employer share, plus all accrued interest). It does not cover EPS — for that, you also need Form 10C or 10D.

What you get: The full lump sum, usually credited within 3–5 working days for online claims.

Tax implications: Tax-free if total service ≥ 5 years. Taxable if less. See the EPF withdrawal tax guide for details.

Online flow: Login to UAN Portal → Online Services → Claim (Form 31, 19, 10C & 10D) → select “Only PF Withdrawal (Form 19)”.

Can I file Form 19 while still employed? No. EPFO will process Form 19 only if there is a gap of at least 2 months from your last contribution date (i.e., you are genuinely unemployed or have retired).

Form 31: Partial advance withdrawal

Use when: You are still employed and need money for a specific purpose that EPF rules permit — medical emergency, marriage, education, home purchase, home loan repayment, home repair, pre-retirement advance, or natural calamity.

Form 31 does not close your account. It withdraws a portion of your EPF balance, up to the limit set for each advance purpose. You continue contributing normally.

What you get: A partial amount credited to your bank account, typically within 7–10 working days for online claims.

Tip: You can file Form 31 multiple times for medical emergencies (no limit). For marriage and education advances combined, the lifetime limit is 3 times.

Online flow: Login to UAN Portal → Online Services → Claim (Form 31, 19, 10C & 10D) → select “PF Advance (Form 31)” → select the purpose from the dropdown.

I tried to file Form 31 and got an error saying “claim not allowed”: This usually means you have not completed the minimum service required for that specific advance (e.g., 7 years for marriage/education), or your Aadhaar KYC is not verified.

Form 10C: EPS withdrawal or scheme certificate

Use when: You are leaving a job and have less than 10 years of total EPS service.

Form 10C covers the EPS (pension) portion only. Your EPF amount is separate — file Form 19 for that.

Two options within Form 10C:

1. Withdrawal benefit: Get the EPS amount as a one-time lump sum. The amount is based on a government-prescribed table (it is not the actual contributions deposited — it is a notional table value, which is usually lower). Once you withdraw, that service period is gone.

2. Scheme certificate: Instead of withdrawing, get a certificate that preserves your EPS service. Present this at your next job so the service continues to accrue. If you eventually accumulate 10+ years total, you qualify for the monthly pension. This is usually the smarter choice if you plan to keep working.

Online flow: Login to UAN Portal → Online Services → Claim (Form 31, 19, 10C & 10D) → select “Pension Withdrawal (Form 10C)”.

Form 10D: Monthly pension claim

Use when: You are retiring (or have left employment) after 10 or more years of EPS service and want to start receiving your monthly pension.

Form 10D does not involve a lump sum. Once EPFO processes it, a monthly pension starts hitting your bank account, typically beginning within 2–3 months of submission.

Early pension option: If you are aged 50–57 and have 10+ years of EPS service, you can file Form 10D for an early (reduced) pension. The pension is reduced by 4% for each year before age 58. See the EPS pension formula guide for the exact reduction table.

Online flow: Login to UAN Portal → Online Services → Claim (Form 31, 19, 10C & 10D) → select “Pension (Form 10D)”. You will need to provide nominee details and a NEFT mandate for the bank.

The Composite Claim Form (offline)

If you are filing offline (physically at the EPFO office or via post), EPFO has consolidated the above into a single Composite Claim Form in two variants:

Variant	When to use
Composite Claim Form (Aadhaar)	Your Aadhaar is seeded on UAN; no employer attestation needed
Composite Claim Form (Non-Aadhaar)	Aadhaar not seeded; employer must attest the form

The Composite Claim Form (Aadhaar) was introduced in 2017 via EPFO self-certification circular, eliminating the need for employers to physically sign withdrawal requests for Aadhaar-linked accounts.

Can my employer block my withdrawal?

For online claims on the UAN portal: No. Since 2019, most advance claims (Form 31) and resignation/retirement claims (Form 19) are processed directly by EPFO without employer digital signature. Your employer will see the transaction but cannot block it if your KYC is clean.

For offline/physical claims: Your employer’s attestation is required only for Non-Aadhaar composite claim forms. If you have Aadhaar seeded, no employer signature is needed even offline.

Why do claims get rejected?

The most common rejection reasons, in order:

1. KYC mismatch: Name on Aadhaar does not match EPFO records. Fix in the UAN portal under Manage → Modify Basic Details and wait for employer approval.
2. Bank account not verified: Your IFSC or account number is wrong, or the bank mandate was never confirmed. Re-verify under Manage → KYC.
3. Service condition not met: You applied for a marriage advance but have under 7 years of service. Check the exact requirement for your advance type.
4. Wrong form selected: You filed Form 10C but have more than 10 years of service (EPFO will redirect you to Form 10D). Or you filed Form 19 while still employed.
5. PAN not linked: For withdrawals above ₹50,000 with less than 5 years service, PAN must be seeded to avoid 20% TDS.

Quick decision guide

Employed right now?
  → Yes: Use Form 31 (partial advance, specific purpose only)
  → No: Continue below

Have you retired or been unemployed 2+ months?
  → Yes: Use Form 19 (EPF full settlement) + Form 10C or 10D (EPS)
  → No, just left job: Wait 2 months, then use Form 19

For EPS specifically:
  → Less than 10 years total EPS service: Form 10C (withdraw or get scheme certificate)
  → 10+ years EPS service: Form 10D (monthly pension)

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Sources: EPF Scheme 1952 (Para 69 — conditions for withdrawal); EPS 1995 (Para 12, 14 — withdrawal and pension); EPFO Circular dated 20.02.2017 on Composite Claim Forms and self-certification; EPFO Member Portal guidelines.