EPFO Benefits For Family After Member's Death: Documents, Steps And Claims Explained

When the primary earning member of a family dies, the financial impact can be devastating. But for eligible salaried workers covered by the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), their families may have access to multiple forms of financial support. These include the deceased member's provident fund savings, survivor pension benefits for eligible spouses and children, and an insurance payout under the Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance (EDLI) Scheme. The benefits are governed by different EPFO schemes, with eligibility and payouts depending on factors such as the member's service and circumstances of death.

We have listed below the necessary documents needed to avail the facility, along with how to proceed with the claims and other things.

The first document needed to avail the EPFO claim is the death certificate. The nominee, surviving family member or legal heir must submit it along with the claim. EPFO's composite death-claim form also lists other documents that may be required, including proof of the children's date of birth when claiming pension, a scheme certificate where applicable, and a cancelled cheque or attested bank-passbook copy for account verification.

Once the documentation is in place, the family can claim benefits under three different EPFO schemes:

EPF: The PF balance of the EPFO member who died can be claimed by the nominee or eligible family members/legal heirs. EPFO provides Form 20 for claiming the provident-fund amount after the member's death. The death-claim process can also be made through the composite claim form. 

EPS: The family may also be entitled to benefits under the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS). Depending on the circumstances, eligible family members can receive a survivor pension. This can include a widow/widower pension and pension for eligible children.

EPFO's death-claim instructions specify Form 10-D for pension claims by eligible family members, including a spouse and children below 25 years, subject to the applicable EPS provisions.

This is important because the EPS benefit is different from simply receiving the member's PF corpus: it can provide a recurring pension to eligible family members.

EDLI: The third major benefit is the Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance (EDLI) Scheme. It provides life-insurance cover to eligible EPF members. Importantly, the employee does not have to make a separate contribution towards this insurance; the employer contributes towards the scheme.

For eligible cases, the maximum EDLI benefit is Rs 7 lakh. EPFO says the minimum assurance benefit was also enhanced to Rs 7 lakh for specified members meeting the relevant continuous membership/employment conditions.

The EDLI claim is made through Form 5(IF), and EPFO's instructions specify that it applies when the member died while in service and the establishment was covered by the scheme.