Form 31 is the old paper claim for a PF advance, a partial withdrawal from your provident fund balance for a specific need such as illness, marriage, education or a home. Today the same claim is raised online through the member portal, so Form 31 mostly survives as a name people still search for.

How advances are claimed now

Log in with your UAN, open Online Services and file the claim (the composite claim form that replaced the separate forms for final settlement, pension and advances). If your Aadhaar is linked and KYC is complete, the claim goes straight to EPFO and no employer attestation is needed. Members without Aadhaar linking still have a non-Aadhaar composite form that the employer signs and a field office handles.

Three recent changes affect what you can ask for and how fast:

• EPFO raised the auto-settlement limit for advance claims from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh in 2025, with money meant to reach the member within about 72 hours when the claim passes automated checks. EPFO reported 71.22% of advance claims settled automatically in FY 2025-26 up to 30 October 2025.
• In October 2025 the EPFO trustees approved merging the many separate withdrawal purposes into three heads: essential needs (illness, education, marriage), housing, and special circumstances.
• The EPF Scheme, 2026 allows partial withdrawal after 12 months of membership, while keeping a minimum balance of 25% of your total contributions.

Where claims get stuck

Rejections usually trace to a name or date of birth mismatch with Aadhaar, an unverified bank account, or a recent transfer that has not settled yet, so the balance is split between two member IDs. Employer-related delays arise only when the claim is on the manual route, or when the employer has not marked a date of exit. HR teams get asked about these constantly, so a short internal note helps.

Money drawn as an advance is not repaid, and it shrinks the balance on which interest accrues. Estimate what remains in the PF withdrawal calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Is a PF advance taxable?

An advance for a listed purpose is not the same as a final withdrawal, and tax rules depend on service length and amount. Your PF passbook shows what was paid out, and a CA should confirm tax on a specific claim.

Can I claim an advance in my first year?

Under the 2026 scheme, partial withdrawal is allowed after 12 months of membership. Check the portal for any purpose-specific exceptions.

Does the employer have to approve it?

Not on the Aadhaar-based online route. Only the non-Aadhaar paper route involves the employer’s signature.

See the full list of legacy forms in the EPF forms guide.