How to Claim Your EPF on Grounds of Marriage
Disclaimer
Please note that the information given below is gathered from presently available government resources updated last on November 2018. This can be taken as a basic guidance on documentation and procedures. But this cannot be taken as a legal / Authorized resource or advice. Also please do let the author know if it breeches any copy right or if any alteration needed in the article.
The main purpose of writing this article is purely to help the employees who are planning to claim EPF since there are not sufficient information available online regarding this at the moment.
Criteria for EPF Claims
On the below grounds your claims can be made
When leaving service
1. On reaching the age of retirement (Males - 55 years , Females - 50 years)
2. On permanent disability
3. for marriage (only applicable for female employees)
4. for government service
5. to migrate to another country on permanent visa
6. If your corporation is permanently closed down
Also note that you can also request a part of your fund as a housing loan via selected banks. But this needs to be settled down on timely manner.
Eligibility Requirements for claiming EPF on grounds of marriage - SRI LANKA
Please note that this is only applicable for female employees and it could be claimed on the below grounds.
1. If you have left the service within 5 years of marriage
2. Married within 3 months of leaving service.
Documents Required for Claim
1. Marriage certificate issued by the Additional District Registrar
2. National Identity Card Copy attested by the last employer
3. B cards /Form B ( if you have worked in more than one organization all the B cards should be submitted)
4. Copy of the Bank Pass Book
5. Recently taken Passport size photograph
6. Along with all the above, dully filled form K should be submitted.
How to proceed with the claim
Please make sure all your documents are in order. Below mentioned are some key points to avoid unnecessary delays or claim rejections.
Marriage certificate
- You need to get a certified copy of your marriage certificate issued by the Additional District Registrar in addition to your original certificate issued by the registrar. Check under which district, division your marriage is registered and you have to reach the relevant Divisional Secretariat accordingly. Since these documents are manually entered, there might be delays in the documents reaching the appropriate District Divisional Secretariat offices. Hence you can always check with Department of Registrar General.
- There is an application you need to fill to request the certified copy. This can be obtained from any divisional secretariat.
- There will be a fee charged for each copy. The charges are higher if the date of registration or the number of the entry is unknown, also it will take longer to receive the copy.
- When you submit for claim, you must submit the original issued by the secretariat, not a photo copy. So always make sure to request additional copies for future requirements.
National Identity Card
- You must obtain a copy of your national identity card attested by the last employer.
B cards /Form B
- You have to submit all the B cards if you have worked in more than one organization. Please make sure to check if the name in your National Identity Card matches with the Form B. Make sure the name order and the spellings are correct. In case of a mismatch, please reach your employer by whom the B card is provided and obtain a certified letter stating both the names refer to one and same person. This letter & B card should be submitted to the relevant Labour / Sub Labour office (reach the sub office under which area your employer is located/registered) in order for correction. Always take your birth certificate & a copy with you in case if they require more clarification.
- In case if you have not received a B card from your employer or if it was not submitted to labour office for registration, you can always fill a fresh ABH form with the help of the employer and visit the relevant labour office for registration. Make sure to mention the officer that these changes are required for claim so there wouldn't be any delays.
- In case if you have lost a B card and the company who provided it is closed down , you have to reach the relevant village officer (Grama Niladhari) to get a letter from him/her certifying that the company is closed down. If the corporation is still active, you can always request a certified letter from them stating your employer number, employee number and other relevant info.
Bank Info
- Get a Copy of the Bank Pass Book under your name (only the page which contains the account details such as account number , account name, branch name) and make sure the info stated is clear. Do not mess with it as it is where your claim money will be deposited after approval.
Passport size photograph
- Make sure to submit a recent one.
K form
- A dully filled form K should be submitted with the above. This can be obtained from any Labour/ sub Labour offices or can be downloaded from epf.lk website. This form request most important info about yourself and a brief on the documents you are submitting. This should be filled with the help of your last employer as they need to certify your name and the fund contribution. Also your thumb print should be certified by a witness.
In addition to the above documents, the below points also should be considered. before submission.
* You have to make sure your name in NIC, Birth Certificate, B cards & Central Bank Statements(Where your funds are collected) are same , correct and properly in order. If it mismatches, you will need to correct it according to your NIC. In case if the central bank account name mismatches , you can always request a similar letter as the B card correction from the relevant employer and submit it to EPF department. Once they certify it, you have to visit to the central bank with EPF department receipt for correction. Note that this is a very important procedure, if not all four documents states the same name, your claim application will not be accepted.
*Always make sure to cross check with the labour department if your B cards are registered. This is a digitizing data program which needs the manual documents to be registered to the system. Obtaining a B card doesn't always mean that the card is registered (specially the older ones). Registering a B card doesn't require any additional documents except your B card in case if you have obtained it already. This can be done by the relevant labour department within a few hours.
*On submission of all required documentation, your claim will be credited to your respective account within 14 days to one month. In case of a missing/ false document or further clarifications required, it might take longer.
* The documents and procedures are almost similar for other grounds of claims too, except a few extra documents needed according to the criteria of claim. You can always obtain this info via EPF department website ( www.epf.lk ) or by visiting the labour department directly.
Part Payment
Once after a claim , a member's account will be closed and you will no longer receive statements. In case if you receive any funds after the claim, you can request it later by submitting a part payment claim form from EPF department.
This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.
