When an EPF member dies without a valid nomination, the legal heirs claim three benefits using three forms: Form 20 for the provident fund balance, Form 10D for the EPS monthly pension, and Form 5IF for the EDLI insurance lump sum. You file them at the Regional EPF Office through the member's last employer, with a legal heir certificate or succession certificate proving who is entitled.
Short on time? Jump to the step-by-step section below and the document checklist.
Most EPF death claims stall for one reason: there was no nomination, or the nomination was never updated after marriage, divorce, or a death in the family. The EPFO cannot simply hand the money to whoever asks. It must first know, on paper, who the rightful claimants are.
A nomination is the shortcut. When a member names a nominee in Form 2, the EPFO pays that person directly with very little proof. Without it, the office falls back on the law of succession, and that means the family must produce a legal document establishing the heirs.
The three benefits are governed by the Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 and its three schemes: the EPF Scheme 1952 (the PF balance), the Employees' Pension Scheme 1995 (monthly pension), and the Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme 1976 (the insurance lump sum). Each scheme has its own claim form, which is why a single death produces three separate applications.
The EPFO “Which Claim Form” page lists exactly what a nominee, beneficiary, or legal heir files when a member dies:
Note: there is no “Form 51F”. That number is a common typo for Form 5IF, the genuine EDLI claim form. If a website or agent tells you to file “Form 51F”, they mean Form 5IF.
For death cases, the EPFO also offers a Composite Claim Form (Death) that combines Form 20, Form 10D, and Form 5IF into a single application, so the family is not chasing three paper trails separately.
A widow in Patna lost her husband, a factory worker, in 2025. He had opened his EPF account years earlier and never filed a nomination. The PF office refused to release the balance to her on the death certificate alone.
She obtained a legal heir certificate from the Tehsildar naming herself and her two children, attached a guardianship order for the younger child, and filed Form 20, Form 10D, and Form 5IF through her husband's last employer. The PF balance and the EDLI lump sum were released, and her widow pension under Form 10D began the following month. The heir certificate was the single document that unlocked everything.
If the EPF office sits on a complete claim past 30 days, an RTI is the fastest way to force a written answer. Address it to the Public Information Officer of the concerned Regional EPF Office under Section 6(1) of the RTI Act, 2005.
To, The Public Information Officer, Regional Provident Fund Office, [city] Subject: Information under Section 6(1) of the RTI Act, 2005 regarding death claim of [member name], UAN/PF A/c No. [number] Sir/Madam, 1. The present status and date-wise movement of the death claim filed on [date] for the late [member name]. 2. The name and designation of the official handling this claim. 3. If the claim is delayed, the reasons for the delay and the expected date of settlement. 4. Whether interest is payable for the delayed period, and the amount. I enclose the application fee of ₹10 under Section 7(1). If I belong to the BPL category, please treat me as exempt under Section 7(5). Place: __________ Signature: __________ Date: __________ Name and address: __________
If you get no reply in 30 days or an evasive one, file a first appeal under Section 19(1) within 30 days of the deadline. For help drafting, see the RTI practical guides or ask a question at RTI Wiki Ask.
Form 20 claims the final provident fund settlement. The legal heir files it with a death certificate and a legal heir certificate or succession certificate. To also claim the pension and insurance, file Form 10D and Form 5IF, or use the single Composite Claim Form for death cases.
No. The correct EDLI claim form is Form 5IF, listed on the EPFO “Which Claim Form” page. “Form 51F” is a common misspelling. Use Form 5IF to claim the EDLI lump sum, which ranges from ₹2.5 lakh to ₹7 lakh.
Either may be accepted, depending on your EPF office and state. A legal heir certificate is issued by the Tehsildar or Revenue authority and is quicker. A succession certificate is issued by a civil court and carries more weight for disputed or large claims. Ask your EPF office which it requires.
A complete claim is meant to be settled within 30 days. Death claims involving legal heir verification can take longer because the office checks the heirship document. Interest on the PF balance keeps accruing up to the date of settlement, so the amount does not lose value while you wait.
You must produce a guardianship certificate from a court authorising an adult to receive the minor's share. Without it, the EPFO holds that child's portion. Arrange the guardianship order at the same time as the legal heir certificate to avoid a second delay.