Wrong EPF nominee can make your nomination invalid; Who is eligible and how to update or change it

The Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) is one of the most popular long-term retirement savings option for salaried employees. When opening an EPF account, members are required to nominate a person who can receive all the benefits in the event of their death.

A valid nomination helps ensure that the accumulated EPF balance, along with benefits under the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS) and Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance (EDLI), is transferred smoothly to the intended beneficiary.

If the account holder fails to choose a nominee, their family members may face delays and require additional paperwork while claiming the money. However, not everyone is eligible to be nominated.

Choosing the wrong person can make the entire nomination invalid, making it important for EPF members to understand the rules and update their nomination details if they spot an error or simply seek to make certain changes.

EPF nomination: Who is eligible and who is not?

• For male subscribers, eligible nominees are wife, children (married and unmarried), dependent parents, and widow of son and children.
• For female subscribers, eligible nominees are husband, children (married or unmarried), dependent parents, spouse’s dependent parents and widow of son and children.
• Married subscribers are required to add their spouse even if they do not wish to nominate their husband/wife under PF.
• Spouse and children are defined as family for pension fund. So, their names should be added in the family list.

Once you have chosen your EPF nominee, you are required to submit the Aadhaar copy and photo of the family member.

What if the EPF member does not have a family?

If an EPF member does not have a family when making a nomination, they are free to nominate any person of their choice. This can be a sibling, relative, friend or any other trusted individual.

The same rule applies to a member who is not married or does not have any living spouse or an eligible child. They nominate any person to receive benefits.

However, the rules change once the member acquires a family, such as after marriage. In such cases, the earlier nomination becomes invalid and the member is required to submit a fresh nomination in favour of eligible family members.

How to update or change EPF nominee online?

If you notice or realise later that your nominee is invalid as per your marital status, you can still make changes to your EPF account. Here are the steps to update EPF nomination or make a new nomination:

• Visit the EPFO member e-Sewa Portal
• Login using your credentials and then enter the captcha
• Select the ‘e-nomination’ option under the ‘Manage’ tab.
• Click on the ‘Enter new nomination’ option on the next page.
• The ‘Profile’ details will appear on the screen. Click on the ‘Proceed’ button.
• Select ‘Yes’ under the ‘Family Declaration’ section to add a new nominee or update the details of the previously mentioned nominee.
• Include the nominee details and upload their photograph. Click on the ‘Save Family Details’ option. Click on ‘Add now’ if you are adding more than one nominee and then enter their details.
• Enter the total amount of shares for the added nominees and click on the ‘Save EPF Nomination’ button.

To make an EPF e-nomination valid, members must also complete the e-sign process. Otherwise, the latest changes or updates won't be processed.