You contribute to your EPF all your life to build a secure retirement corpus. While you are entitled to receive the maturity proceeds on retirement, you can also withdraw the balance while you are working, subject to certain terms and conditions.

Earlier, you had to wait patiently until you received your pension claim because there was no way to check its status. Thankfully, now you can check your PF balance and EPF claim status in just a few clicks from the comfort of your home. Following are the 4 online and offline methods via which you can do so.

Through your UAN

You can check your PF status by visiting the EPFO website and using your UAN. Follow these simple steps:

• Start by logging in to the EPFO website
• Click on the ‘Our Services’ option on the menu
• Choose the ‘For Employees’ section
• Select the ‘Know Your Claim Status’ option
• Enter your 12-digit UAN and CAPTCHA
• Enter the PF office details, establishment code and PF account number to view your PF status

Through the UMANG App

Alternatively, you can check your PF status via the UMANG app. UMANG, which stands for Unified Mobile Application for New-Age Governance, is a convenient app launched by the Government of India. It is a secure multi-channel and multi-service mobile application that enables you to access over 1,200 government services in various Indian languages. One of these services is checking your PF status. Follow these steps to do so:

• Install the UMANG app and open it on your handheld device
• Choose ‘EPFO’ and then select ‘Employee Centric Services’
• Choose the ‘Track Claim’ option
• Enter your UAN and choose ‘Get OTP’
• After receiving and entering the OTP, click on ‘Login’
• You will be able to track all claims made pertaining to your UAN. Scroll to see your PF status.

Through a missed call

You can also check your PF status offline by giving a missed call, free of charge. To be able to use this facility, you have to register yourself on the Unified Portal and have a UAN. You also need to update your bank account number, PAN, and Aadhaar details on the portal. Once you do, you can check your PF status by simply giving a missed call on 011-22901406 using the mobile number that is registered on the portal. Once you dial, the call is disconnected automatically after which you will get an SMS with your PF claim status.

Through an SMS

Another way of viewing your PF status offline is through SMS. Again, to take this route you must have a UAN and register yourself on the Unified Portal. To view the status of your PF claim through SMS, use your registered number to send an SMS to 7738299899. Make sure you include ‘EPFOHO UAN’ in your SMS.

You can use this facility in various languages such as English, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Bengali, Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam. While English is the default language, you can choose to receive the SMS a language of your choice by adding the first three characters of the desired language after ‘UAN’ to the SMS. For instance, type ‘EPFOHO UAN HIN’ and send it to 7738299899 to receive the SMS in Hindi.

Once you check your PF status in one of these ways, it’s important to plan how you will use the sum you are to receive. Instead of parking it in a savings account where growth is poor, invest it for quicker multiplication. An option that will give you growth and assured returns is fixed deposits.

Before investing in an FD, find an issuer who offers high interest rates and beneficial features to help you make the most of your investment. Consider Bajaj Finance Fixed Deposits as they are rated FAAA by CRISIL and MAAA by ICRA, which are the highest ratings. On the interest rate front, as a senior citizen you can earn up to 9.10% on a cumulative FD when invested for 36 months and 8.75% as a regular citizen.

What’s more, Bajaj Finserv offers both cumulative and non-cumulative FDs to suit your needs. With a cumulative FD you can choose to receive a lump sum on maturity. With a non-cumulative FD, you can opt for interest payouts at regular intervals of your choice be it monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually to supplement or replace your salary.