Employment & Social Security#054

Understanding Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS) — scheme certificate (Form 10C)

Obtain an EPS scheme certificate when leaving a job before 10 years to preserve your pension service.

At a glance

Jurisdiction

Central — Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), Ministry of Labour and Employment

Who applies

EPF member who has left service with fewer than 10 years of EPS-qualifying service and wants either (a) a scheme certificate to preserve future pension rights when rejoining service, or (b) a withdrawal benefit (lump sum) from EPS in lieu of future pension.

Typical time

Online claim (Aadhaar-verified): 10–20 working days. Offline/physical claim: 30–45 working days.

Fee

Nil — no processing fee charged by EPFO. Withdrawal benefit is not taxable as it is a statutory EPS benefit.

Who should use this process

✓Must have left employment (no longer in service).
✓EPS qualifying service must be less than 10 years (members with 10+ years are entitled to monthly pension only — see Form 10D).
✓Minimum 6 months of EPS contributions must exist to be eligible for withdrawal benefit; scheme certificate is available regardless of this minimum.
✓Must have attained age 58 or not yet claimed pension — Form 10C is filed before pension age.
✓UAN must be activated; Aadhaar must be seeded and KYC-approved for online submission.

Who does NOT need to apply

✕Members with 10 or more years of EPS qualifying service are not eligible for EPS withdrawal benefit or scheme certificate under Form 10C — they must claim monthly pension via Form 10D.
✕Members still in employment cannot file Form 10C.
✕Members in exempted PF trusts must apply to the trust, not EPFO.
✕EPS withdrawal benefit is not available if scheme certificate has already been issued and the member has continued in the scheme.

Documents required

#	Document	Type needed	Purpose
1	Composite Claim Form (Form 10C) — Aadhaar version	Download / Print	Core form for EPS scheme certificate or EPS withdrawal benefit; generated online for Aadhaar-verified members.
2	Aadhaar card	Self-attested Copy	Identity proof and OTP-based digital signature for online submission.
3	Bank passbook front page / cancelled cheque	Self-attested Copy	Required for withdrawal benefit credit; account details must match UAN-seeded bank account.
4	Revenue stamp (offline submission)(optional)Required only for physical/offline submission.	Original	Required on physical Form 10C submitted at EPFO field office.
5	Previous scheme certificate (if member re-joins after break)(optional)Required only if member previously received a scheme certificate.	Original	If a scheme certificate was issued for a previous stint, it must be submitted to merge past EPS service with the current claim.

Original documents: Carry originals only for in-person visits — do not hand them over permanently unless explicitly required.

Step-by-step guide

1
Confirm EPS qualifying service is under 10 years
Online
Check your EPS passbook and service history on the member portal. Add up EPS service across all employment spells. If total is below 10 years, proceed with Form 10C. If 10 years or more, use Form 10D (EPS pension) instead.
EPF Member Portal — https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/memberinterface/
2
Log in to EPF Member Portal and raise claim
Online
Log in with UAN and password. Go to 'Online Services' → 'Claim (Form-31, 19, 10C & 10D)'. Verify the pre-populated bank account. Select 'Pension Withdrawal Benefit' or 'Scheme Certificate' as applicable from the Form 10C options.
10 minutes
3
Aadhaar OTP verification and submission
Online
Enter the OTP received on your Aadhaar-linked mobile to digitally authenticate and submit the claim. Note the claim reference number sent via SMS.
2 minutes
4
Employer verification (if exit date not updated)
Online
If the employer has not updated the date of exit in EPFO records, the claim is routed to the employer for approval. The employer logs into the EPFO employer portal and approves the claim.
3–10 working daysEmployer PF Nodal Officer
5
EPFO Regional Office processing
Both
After employer approval, the concerned EPFO regional office processes the claim. For withdrawal benefit: the EPS withdrawal amount is credited to the member's bank account via NEFT. For scheme certificate: a digitally signed certificate is generated and dispatched or available for download.
7–15 working days after employer approvalEPFO Accounts Officer / EPS Section Officer
6
Download or collect scheme certificate
Online
If scheme certificate is chosen, download the digitally signed certificate from the member portal after processing. Store it safely — it must be submitted when re-joining EPFO-covered employment to merge past service.
1 day after processing

Government officers involved

Employer PF Nodal Officer

Employer HR / Accounts

Approval step — approves Form 10C claim and confirms exit date.

Validates exit date and approves the claim in the EPFO employer portal.

EPS Section Officer / Accounts Officer

EPFO Regional Office

Processing — verifies EPS service history and processes scheme certificate or withdrawal.

Calculates withdrawal benefit or issues scheme certificate based on EPS table and service length.

Government portals

EPF Member Portal (Unified Portal)

https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/memberinterface/

EPFO Grievance Portal (EPFiGMS)

https://epfigms.gov.in

Raise grievance if claim is delayed beyond 20 working days.

EPFO Official Website

https://www.epfindia.gov.in

EPS withdrawal benefit tables, scheme certificate FAQs, office locator.

Things to watch out for

Scheme certificate vs withdrawal benefit — the choice is irreversible

Once you opt for EPS withdrawal benefit and receive payment, your EPS rights for that period are extinguished. A scheme certificate, on the other hand, preserves those years for a future pension if you rejoin formal employment. If you plan to re-enter the organised sector, always prefer the scheme certificate.

EPS withdrawal benefit amounts are small — often not worth it

The EPS withdrawal benefit is computed from a government table based on wages and service, not from actual interest-bearing corpus. For 1–3 years of service the amount may be negligible. Check the table at epfindia.gov.in before deciding.

EPF Form 19 and EPS Form 10C must be filed together when leaving job

Many members file only Form 19 (EPF) and forget Form 10C (EPS). The two components are separate claims. File both simultaneously to avoid losing the EPS benefit by overlooking it.

Past scheme certificates must be submitted when re-joining

If you received a scheme certificate in a previous stint and re-joined EPF employment without submitting it, your pension service history will be fragmented. Submit the old scheme certificate to the new employer's EPF nodal officer so it is merged into your current EPS record.

Service of less than 6 months gets no withdrawal benefit, only certificate

Members with less than 6 months of EPS contributions are not entitled to the EPS withdrawal benefit; only a scheme certificate can be issued to preserve the short-period service credit.