Is Your EPF Balance Lower Than Expected? Possible Reasons Explained

If your Employee Provident Fund (EPF) balance appears stagnant, the cause is often administrative rather than financial.

Issues such as delayed employer contributions, KYC mismatches or technical glitches on the EPFO portal can prevent balances from updating correctly. Regular monitoring of your account can help identify and resolve these problems early.

Delayed or Missing Employer Contributions

One of the most common reasons for a flat EPF balance is a delay in deposits by the employer. While the amount may be deducted from your salary, it does not always reach the EPFO immediately.

There is typically a lag of around 20 days between salary deduction and the contribution reflecting in the EPF passbook. If deposits are consistently delayed or missing, employees should first raise the issue with their HR or accounts department. If the matter remains unresolved, a formal complaint can be lodged through the EPFiGMS grievance portal.

Errors in Salary-Based Calculations

EPF contributions are calculated only on basic salary and dearness allowance (DA). Any incorrect inclusion or exclusion of other allowances can result in lower-than-expected contributions.

Employees should review their payslips to ensure that EPF deductions are being calculated correctly and are aligned with basic pay and DA alone.

KYC Mismatches Blocking Updates

Discrepancies in personal details, such as name, date of birth or gender, across Aadhaar, PAN, bank records and EPFO data can block account updates and transactions.

Members should verify their details through the EPFO Member Portal under Manage > KYC, ensuring all information is complete and marked “Approved by Employer”. In cases of major discrepancies, a Joint Declaration Form may need to be submitted to the EPFO through the employer.

Multiple or Inactive UANs

Employees who have switched jobs may unknowingly hold multiple Universal Account Numbers (UANs), leading to fragmented EPF balances across different accounts.

To avoid this, all previous Member IDs should be linked to the current active UAN via the EPFO member portal, allowing balances to be consolidated into a single account.

EPF Accounts Managed by Exempted Trusts

Some large organisations manage employee provident funds through in-house exempted trusts rather than directly through the EPFO. In such cases, balances may not appear on the EPFO portal or passbook.

Employees covered under exempted trusts should contact their company’s HR department directly for PF statements and balance details.

Technical Issues and Portal Downtime

Temporary glitches or maintenance-related downtime on the EPFO portal can also delay balance updates or restrict access to passbooks.

Members are advised to try accessing the portal during off-peak hours, such as early morning or late evening. EPF balances can also be checked via a missed call to 9966044425, by sending an SMS “EPFOHO UAN ENG” to 7738299899 from the registered mobile number, or through the UMANG app.