Now, you can withdraw your provident fund savings to pay hospital bills in case of serious illness by submitting a self-declared form to the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).
The Labour Ministry has issued a notification on April 25 doing away with the requirement of EPF subscribers to get their employer’s approval or submit doctor certificates to withdraw provident fund savings for medical purposes.
“The move is in line with the government’s policy of moving towards a self-declaration regime. Employees will no longer be required to produce any certificate for taking all kinds of advance from their provident fund accounts,” EPFO central provident fund commissioner V.P. Joy told The Hindu .
He said the EPFO had introduced a composite claim form, which needed to be submitted by employees to avail provident fund advance.
Employees with EPF accounts are allowed to withdraw provident fund savings up to six months’ salary in cases of hospitalisation for at least a month, major surgical operation or in case they are suffering from tuberculosis, leprosy, paralysis, cancer and heart ailments.
Earlier, employees were required to produce a certificate from the employer stating that the Employees’ State Insurance Scheme facility is not provided to them along with a doctor’s certificate of serious illness.
Moreover, physically challenged employees will also not be required to produce a certificate from a medical practitioner to withdraw their EPF savings for purchasing equipment or aids.
In February, the EPFO made withdrawing provident fund savings simpler by introducing a composite single page form. EPF subscribers are no longer required to submit evidential documents for withdrawing PF for grant of advances in case of factory closure, marriage, higher education of children, among other things.
Previously, employees were required to fill and submit three different forms to the EPFO for withdrawing provident fund for such purposes.
