Ask most families what an EPF account holds, and they will say savings. Money put aside from salary every month over years of service. But that answer covers only one part of the story.

EPF, which stands for Employees' Provident Fund, actually carries three separate benefits for the family when a member passes away. The savings, yes. But also a monthly pension. And a free insurance payout of up to Rs 7 lakh that most families never even knew existed.

Each benefit needs its own claim form. Families who do not know this file for the savings and walk away from the pension and the insurance entirely. This blog covers all three: what they are, which form claims each one, and how the whole process works.

Key Highlights

• An EPF death claim covers three separate benefits: the provident fund balance, a monthly pension, and an insurance payout

• EPF stands for Employees' Provident Fund. EPS stands for Employees' Pension Scheme. EDLI stands for Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance. EPFO stands for Employees' Provident Fund Organisation

• Form 20 is used for the EPF balance. Form 10D is used for the EPS pension. Form 5 IF is used for the EDLI insurance payout of up to Rs 7 lakh

• All three forms can be submitted together as a composite claim to the EPFO

• The EDLI insurance is free. The employee pays nothing for it during their lifetime

• Without a valid nomination, legal heirs can still claim, but they need extra documents

The Three Benefits Inside One EPF Account

Picture the EPF account as three separate envelopes sitting in the same drawer. Each envelope holds a different benefit, and the family may need to follow a different process to claim each one.

EPF balance. EPF stands for Employees' Provident Fund. This is the provident fund savings. Every month, the employee contributes a percentage of their basic salary, and the employer contributes more on top. That money grows with interest over the years of service. Form 20 is used to claim it after death.

EPS pension. EPS stands for Employees' Pension Scheme. It is the pension side of the EPF system. When a member passes away, the spouse receives a monthly pension for the rest of their life. Children also receive a pension up to a certain age. Form 10D is the claim form for this benefit.

 EDLI. EDLI stands for Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance. This is the one that surprises families the most. Every EPF member is automatically covered under EDLI from the first day of employment, at zero cost to the employee. No separate form was ever signed for it. No premium was ever deducted from the salary. When the member dies while in service, the family receives a one-time insurance payout of up to Rs 7 lakh. Form 5 IF is the claim for EDLI.

The table below breaks down the three benefits, their full forms, and the forms needed to claim them.

The body that manages all of this is the EPFO, which stands for Employees' Provident Fund Organisation, under the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Who Can Make the EPF Death Claim?

The nominee registered on the EPF account comes first. EPF rules allow only family members to be nominees, which keeps the money within the family by design.

If no nomination was ever filed, the eligible family members defined under the EPF Scheme step in next. If no eligible family members exist, the legal heirs can claim using a legal heir certificate.

Here is something worth knowing: a nominee receives the money but does not automatically own it. Under Indian succession law, a nominee generally holds the money as a trustee on behalf of the legal heirs. When the nominee and the legal heirs are different people, this needs to be handled carefully. AasaanWill's blog on the legal dynamics of nominee vs legal heir explains exactly where the line sits between collecting and owning.

What Documents Are Needed for an EPF Death Claim?

The core documents are largely the same across all three forms, which is one reason filing them together makes sense.

The base set includes the death certificate, the filled claim forms, and the claimant's identity proof. For identity, Aadhaar, which stands for Unique Identification Number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), and PAN, which stands for Permanent Account Number issued by the Income Tax Department, cover most requirements. Add a cancelled cheque or bank passbook copy for the account where the money should arrive, along with relationship proof such as a marriage certificate or birth certificate.

Two extra documents apply in specific situations. A legal heir certificate is needed when no valid nomination exists. Birth certificates for each child are needed for the children's pension claim under Form 10D.

Note: Confirm the exact document list with the employer or the EPFO before submitting, as additional documents may be asked for in certain cases.

How to File the EPF Death Claim

The employer is the first stop. The member's last employer must attest the claim forms before they go to the EPFO. If the employer company has closed since the member left, a bank manager or gazetted officer can attest the forms instead.

Download Form 20, Form 10D, and Form 5 IF from the EPFO website or collect them from the regional EPFO office. A composite death claim form combining all three is also available, and using it is the simplest way to ensure no benefit gets missed.

Fill in the forms accurately. Attach all documents. Submit the full set to the regional EPFO office that managed the member's account. If the member completed e-nomination through the EPFO portal during their lifetime, the claim can also be filed online, which is faster.

After submission, the claim status can be tracked on the EPFO portal using the member's UAN, which stands for Universal Account Number. This is the 12-digit number assigned to every EPF member that stays the same across all jobs. Processing takes a few weeks in most cases, though timelines vary by office and how complete the documents are.

Who Gets the EPS Pension After the Member Dies?

The spouse receives the EPS (Employees' Pension Scheme) pension for the rest of their life, or until remarriage.

Children receive a separate children's pension alongside the spouse pension, not instead of it. Up to two children at a time receive this until each turns 25. A child with a permanent disability receives it for life with no age cut-off.

If the member had no spouse or children, dependent parents may be eligible in certain circumstances.

What Makes EDLI Different From the Other Two Benefits?

Two things consistently surprise families about EDLI (Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance).

First, the cover is completely free. Not a single rupee was ever deducted from the member's salary for it. Simply being in service as an EPF member is enough to be automatically covered.

Second, death does not need any connection to the workplace. It can happen anywhere and for any reason. Illness at home, an accident on a trip, anything counts. The only requirement is that the member was still in active service at the time of death.

The payout is calculated from the member's average salary in the twelve months before death, capped at Rs 7 lakh. 

What If No Nomination Was Made on the EPF Account?

The claim still goes through. It just needs more paperwork.

Eligible family members as defined under the EPF Scheme are eligible to file the claim. If none exist, legal heirs file using a legal heir certificate or, in more complicated situations, a succession certificate from a civil court.

For EPF members reading this about their own account: log into the EPFO portal, go to the e-nomination section, and check whether the nomination is filed and current. This takes five minutes and saves the family months of extra paperwork later.

A Will that records the EPF account number and the UAN means the family knows immediately what to look for. AasaanWill's blog on building an inventory of your assets explains how to document EPF details alongside every other account and benefit in one place the family can find.

Where Families Go Wrong With EPF Death Claims

Across thousands of EPF death claims, the same problems repeat.

• The family claims the Form 20 (EPF balance) but does not know that Form 10D (EPS pension) and Form 5 IF (EDLI insurance) also exist.

• The employer has shut down, and the family does not realise that attestation can be obtained from a bank manager instead.

• The children’s pension under Form 10D remains unclaimed because the required birth certificates were not attached.

• Claims remain pending with the EPFO for months because the family does not track the claim status using the UAN.

These problems are often avoidable when the family knows about all three benefits and how to claim them.

How AasaanWill Helps

AasaanWill helps families keep the complete financial picture on record so nothing goes unclaimed. Our team assists with:

• Writing a Will that records the EPF account number, UAN, nomination details, and all three benefit types so the family knows what to claim

• Ensuring the EPF nomination aligns with the wishes in the Will, so the nominee and the intended beneficiary are the same person

• Explaining where the nominee role ends, and legal heir rights begin

• Guiding families through the legal heir certificate process when no nomination was made

• Building a complete asset and document inventory so benefits do not go unnoticed

An updated EPF nomination and a Will that records the account details together make every claim faster. AasaanWill can help put both in place today.

Conclusion

An EPF death claim is three claims in one. Form 20 for the EPF (Employees' Provident Fund) balance with interest. Form 10D for the EPS (Employees' Pension Scheme) monthly pension to the spouse and children. Form 5 IF for the EDLI (Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance) payout of up to Rs 7 lakh, which every serving EPF member carries at zero personal cost.

File all three together. The employer attests, the EPFO processes, and the UAN tracks progress online.

The families who receive all three benefits are simply the ones who knew to ask for all three. A Will that records the account, paired with a current nomination, makes sure your family is always that family. AasaanWill can help with that today.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is EPF and what does the full form stand for?

EPF stands for Employees' Provident Fund. It is a retirement savings scheme for salaried employees in India, managed by the EPFO (Employees' Provident Fund Organisation) under the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

2. What is an EPF death claim?

An EPF death claim is the process by which the family of a deceased EPF member claims three benefits: the EPF provident fund balance (Form 20), the EPS monthly pension (Form 10D), and the EDLI insurance payout of up to Rs 7 lakh (Form 5 IF).

3. What is EPS and what does it mean?

EPS stands for Employees' Pension Scheme. It is the pension arm of the EPF system. When an EPF member passes away, the spouse and children receive a monthly pension under EPS through Form 10D.

4. What is EDLI and what does it stand for?

EDLI stands for Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance. It is a free insurance scheme covering every EPF member in service. When a member dies in service, the family receives up to Rs 7 lakh as a one-time payout through Form 5 IF.

5. What is the UAN in EPF?

UAN stands for Universal Account Number. It is a unique 12-digit number assigned to every EPF member that remains the same across all jobs. The claim status can be tracked using the UAN on the EPFO portal.

6. What is Form 20 in an EPF death claim?

Form 20 is used to claim the deceased member's EPF (Employees' Provident Fund) balance with interest. The nominee, eligible family member, or legal heir files it with the death certificate and supporting documents.

7. What is Form 10D in an EPF death claim?

Form 10D is the application for the monthly EPS (Employees' Pension Scheme) pension. The spouse receives it for life or until remarriage. Children receive it up to age 25. A child with a permanent disability receives it for life.

8. What is Form 5 IF in an EPF death claim?

Form 5 IF claims the EDLI (Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance) payout. This is a free insurance benefit of up to Rs 7 lakh paid to the family when an EPF member dies in service, calculated from the member's salary over the last twelve months.

9. Does EDLI apply only if death happens at the workplace?

No. EDLI applies when the member dies in service, regardless of where or how the death occurred. The location and cause are irrelevant. The only condition is that the member was still in active service at the time.

10. What documents are needed for an EPF death claim?

Death certificate, filled claim forms (Form 20, Form 10D, Form 5 IF), identity proof (Aadhaar and PAN), bank account details, relationship proof, and a legal heir certificate when no nomination exists. Birth certificates for each child are needed for the EPS pension claim.

11. What is Aadhaar and what does it stand for?

Aadhaar is the Unique Identification Number issued by the UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India). It is one of the accepted identity proofs for filing an EPF death claim.

12. Can all three EPF claim forms be filed together?

Yes. Form 20, Form 10D, and Form 5 IF can be submitted together as a composite claim to the regional EPFO office. Filing together ensures all three benefits are claimed at once.

13. Who attests the EPF death claim forms?

The member's last employer attests the forms. If the employer company has closed, a bank manager, gazetted officer, or other authorised official can attest instead.

14. What if there was no EPF nomination?

Eligible family members under the EPF Scheme claim first. Where none exist, legal heirs file using a legal heir certificate or succession certificate from a civil court.

15. Can AasaanWill help with EPF death claim planning?

Yes. AasaanWill helps record EPF details in your Will, align the nomination with it, and guides families on legal heir documents for EPFO claim in case of no nomination/or a Will.

Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information presented reflects the law as of the date of publication. For advice on your specific situation, please consult a qualified advocate.

Make every claim easier for your family. Write a Will with AasaanWill today. Visit aasaanwill.com to get started.