UAN: Meaning, Importance, Activation & Benefits

The Universal Account Number (UAN) is a crucial element in the professional life of all salaried employees in India. This unique identifier makes it easier to manage your Employee Provident Fund, ensuring that you have easy access to your retirement funds.  

As a tax saving tool, EPF contributions not only guarantee your future savings but also provide significant tax benefits under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act. Furthermore, combining your UAN with other financial instruments might help you enhance your retirement strategy. 

Here’s everything you need to know about UAN. 

Universal Account Number (UAN): Meaning 

UAN or Universal Account Number is a 12-digit special number assigned to each employee who contributes a part of their salary towards EPF. It is generated and provided to the employees by the EPFO (Employees Provident Fund Organisation) and verified by the Ministry of Labour and Employment. 

An employee's UAN number remains constant throughout his/her career, independent of the number of job changes they have gone through. Whenever an employee changes his/her job, EPFO provides a new EPF account linked to the UAN number.  

Employees do not need to request a new UAN when changing jobs. Instead, they must provide their existing UAN to the new employer. Once the employer generates a new Member ID, it gets linked to the employee's UAN. This allows employees to track their total EPF contributions throughout their career with just one number. 

Importance of UAN 

Some key aspects of the UAN are provided below: 

• It helps in tracking EPF contributions from every employer you have worked under. 

• It allows EPFO to track your job changes efficiently. 

• It allows access to various online EPF services, such as: 

         1. To view and download the PF passbook.  

         2. To access organisation details, including joining dates and EPS information. 

         3. To download the UAN card. 

         4. To update personal information and KYC details. 

         5. To apply for EPS withdrawals or PF. 

         6. To combine multiple member IDs. 

         7. To track the claim status. 

How to Get Your UAN? 

Individuals can get their UAN in 3 ways: 

     1. Through Their Employer 

When you begin your jobs for the first time, your employer opens an EPF account for you. The EPFO then allots your UAN and share it with your employer. You can then request your employer to share your UAN number. 

     2. Through Salary Slip 

You can also get your UAN number through your salary slips, as employers usually include the UAN number in your salary slip breakdown. 

     3. Through Official Website 

The individuals can know their UAN number using the official EPFO website by using the following steps provided below: 

• Visit the official EPFO Portal and access the "Services" section. 

• Choose "For Employees" and then select "Member UAN/Online service (OCS/OTCP)" from the services menu. 

• After this, you will be directed to a portal. 

• There, locate and click on "Know Your UAN" by accessing it from the "important links" section. 

• Now, enter the appearing captcha code and also provide your mobile number.  

• Tap on Request OTP and then you will get a one-time password on your UAN-linked mobile number.  

• Enter the OTP and your UAN number will be sent to you via SMS. 

How to Activate UAN Online? 

You must have your Universal Account Number or PF member ID to activate your UAN online. Follow the steps given below to activate your online UAN: 

Step 1: Navigate to the UAN portal and tap on "Activate UAN" under the "important links" section. 

Step 2: Choose the UAN option and enter the required details like UAN, Aadhar card number, name, date of birth, etc. 

Step 3: Now, enter the captcha code, tick the consent box, and click on the "Get Authorisation Pin" option. 

Step 4: A new screen will be displayed on your browser containing all your details. 

Step 5: Verify all the details and click on the "I Agree" checkbox. 

Step 6: Enter the 4-digit OTP and click on "Activate UAN." 

Step 7: The UAN will be activated after verification of the OTP. 

Once your UAN is activated, you will get a password on your registered mobile number to log in to your account. 

Benefits of UAN for Employees 

Some key benefits of the UAN for employees are provided below: 

• Employees can withdraw or transfer their PF corpus anytime using the UAN number. 

• UAN allows both the employer and employee to easily manage a record of the PF account and its balance using the online UAN member portal. 

• The employers can quickly validate the employee's PF withdrawal requests or submit funds into their account using the UAN portal. 

• Employees can check their EPFO claim status by logging into the EPF Member Portal using their UAN. 

Conclusion 

UAN enhances employee-employer interaction by providing a centralised platform to track and manage PF records in one place. Most importantly, it is essential for various online services, such as updating KYC details, accessing the PF passbook, and viewing your career wide PF contributions. Overall, it serves as a valuable tool for employees contributing to the EPF program.