What is Universal Account Number (UAN)?

About Universal Account Number (UAN):

• UAN is a number allotted to all salaried employees, who contribute a part of their income towards the Employee Provident Fund (EPF).
• It is a 12-digit number that each member of the EPF is allotted against his/her name. 
• It is generated and allotted by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and authenticated by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India. 
• This number is the same throughout an employee’s professional life.
• When an employee changes his job, his EPF account number and Member Identification Number (Member Id) change, but UAN remains the same.
• If a member has already been allotted a UAN, then s/he may provide the same to the new establishment/employer, which in turn will mark the new allotted Member Id to the UAN.
• The UAN will act as an umbrella for the multiple Member Ids allotted to an individual by different establishments.
• This will help the member to view details of all the Member Ids linked to it.
• It is useful for EPFO to track multiple job switches of the employee.

Key Facts about Employee Provident Fund (EPF):

• EPF is the main scheme under the Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Act, 1952.
• The scheme is administered by the Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO).
• Every establishment with 20 or more employees is covered, and some organisations that employ fewer than 20 people are also covered, subject to certain constraints and exemptions.
• The employee and employer each contribute 12% of the employee's basic salary and dearness allowance towards EPF. 
• After the employee retires, they receive a lump sum that includes both their own and the employer's contributions, in addition to interest on both.

Q1: Who gives the UAN number??

Universal Account Number (UAN) is being allotted by Employees' Fund Organization (EPFO) only. UAN is allotted to all the contributory members of EPFO and disseminated through the employers.

Source: BT