Use Form 10C when you are claiming an EPS withdrawal benefit or a scheme certificate under the applicable service and age conditions. Use Form 10D when you are applying for a monthly pension, including superannuation, reduced, disablement, widow, children or orphan pension. The correct choice depends mainly on the benefit sought, your eligible service and your age when the claim is made.
EPFO’s claim-form overview states the distinction plainly: “For Monthly Pension: Form 10D” and “For Withdrawal Benefit and Scheme Certificate: Form 10C.” A form choice is not, by itself, proof that a claim will be approved; EPFO will apply the recorded service and the conditions in the current instructions.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Form 10C and Form 10D at a glance
The two forms are not interchangeable versions of the same application. They lead to different EPS claim categories.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →| Situation described in EPFO instructions | Form or route | What you are applying for | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| You left employment before completing 10 years of eligible service and meet the applicable conditions | Form 10C | Withdrawal benefit | EPFO’s instructions determine whether the recorded service and other conditions qualify. |
| You completed 10 years and are under age 50 when applying | Form 10C | Scheme certificate | This is the route listed in the Form 10C instructions for this age and service combination. |
| You are at least 50 but under 58 and do not want a reduced pension | Form 10C | Scheme certificate | The scheme-certificate option is listed for a member who chooses not to claim reduced pension at that point. |
| You are at least 50 but under 58, have left service and want pension to start early | Form 10D | Reduced pension | Form 10D instructions list reduced pension after age 50 and before age 58 for a member who has left service. |
| You are age 58 and are claiming your monthly member pension | Form 10D | Superannuation pension | Age 58 is the superannuation-pension point stated in the Form 10D instructions. |
| You left service because of total and permanent disablement | Form 10D | Monthly disablement pension | EPFO’s Form 10C instructions say this route applies irrespective of age and service period. |
| You are claiming an eligible widow, children or orphan pension | Form 10D | Family or orphan pension | The Form 10D instructions list these pension categories; the claimant’s eligibility must still be established. |
This table is a reading guide to the categories printed in EPFO material, not an individual entitlement decision. Your service history, recorded exit details and the current form instructions control the result.
#1 Best Overall
What Form 10C is for
Withdrawal benefit when service is below 10 years
Form 10C is the form associated with an EPS withdrawal benefit when a member has left employment before completing 10 years of eligible service and satisfies the other conditions in EPFO’s instructions. The 10-year point is therefore central to the first decision: if your recorded eligible service is below that threshold, investigate the Form 10C withdrawal-benefit category before selecting a pension form.
“Below 10 years” is not a promise that every former member receives a withdrawal benefit. EPFO’s instructions contain the applicable categories and conditions, and the service figure used for the claim is the service shown in EPFO records. Check the record rather than estimating from joining and leaving dates.
Scheme certificate after 10 years
Form 10C also covers a scheme-certificate route. This matters because Form 10C is not simply a cash-withdrawal form. EPFO’s instructions list a scheme certificate for members who have completed 10 years and are under age 50 when applying. They also list the scheme-certificate option for a member aged 50 or more but under 58 who does not want reduced pension.
That means a member with at least 10 years of service can still be directed to Form 10C, depending on age and the choice between a scheme-certificate route and an early reduced pension. Selecting Form 10C in this situation does not mean you are requesting a monthly payment; it means you are using the category EPFO identifies for the certificate.
Why the phrase “withdraw my EPS pension” causes confusion
People often use “EPS pension” to describe any money connected with their pension membership. EPFO separates two different outcomes:
- A withdrawal benefit, handled in the Form 10C categories when the applicable service conditions are met.
- A monthly pension, handled through Form 10D.
Therefore, Form 10C is not the application for a monthly EPS pension. If your objective is recurring monthly pension payment, the relevant form is Form 10D, subject to the pension category and eligibility conditions.
Rank #2
- Ideal for Gifting
- Ideal for a bookworm
- Compact for travelling
What Form 10D is for
Superannuation pension at age 58
The Form 10D instructions list superannuation pension at age 58. A member seeking the normal monthly pension at that age uses Form 10D rather than Form 10C. The form identifies the claim as a pension application, so it is the route for starting the monthly benefit category described in the instructions.
Reduced pension after age 50 and before age 58
Form 10D also covers a reduced pension for a member who has left service and is at least 50 but below 58. This is the early-pension branch in the decision. If you are in that age range and want monthly pension to begin rather than waiting under a scheme-certificate route, the Form 10D instructions direct you to the reduced-pension category.
The word “reduced” is important. It describes a pension category that is different from superannuation pension at age 58. Do not select Form 10D merely because you have reached age 50; the instructions tie this category to the member having left service and to the conditions applicable to early pension.
Disablement pension
Total and permanent disablement is a specific exception to the ordinary age-and-service decision. EPFO’s Form 10C instructions state: “A member, who has left the service on account of total and permanent disablement, irrespective of his age and period of service, is eligible for monthly disablement pension and should apply for pension through Form 10D.”
In practical terms, a member leaving for that reason should not use Form 10C simply because the member has fewer than 10 years of service or is below the normal pension age. The cited instruction directs the claim to Form 10D for monthly disablement pension. The medical and documentary requirements applicable to the claim must be checked in the current EPFO instructions.
Recommended Free Tools
Widow, children and orphan pension
Form 10D’s listed pension types include widow pension, children pension and orphan pension. These are not the member’s ordinary withdrawal-benefit categories. A family claimant should use the current Form 10D instructions to identify the relevant pension type and supporting conditions rather than selecting Form 10C because the member’s service was short.
How to choose the form: a step-by-step decision
- Identify the outcome you want. Write down whether you are seeking a one-time withdrawal benefit, a scheme certificate or a monthly pension. If the answer is monthly pension, start with Form 10D. If it is withdrawal benefit or scheme certificate, start with Form 10C.
- Check your recorded eligible service. The 10-year threshold appears repeatedly in EPFO’s instructions. A member who left before completing 10 years may fall in the Form 10C withdrawal-benefit category. A member who completed 10 years should examine the scheme-certificate and pension-age branches instead.
- Check your age on the claim date. The relevant bands are under 50, 50 to under 58, and 58 or older for the ordinary member-pension decision. Age alone does not establish entitlement, but it determines which instruction branch you need to read.
- For age 50 to under 58, decide whether you want early monthly pension. If you have left service and want reduced pension, Form 10D is the route listed by EPFO. If you do not want reduced pension, Form 10C’s scheme-certificate route is listed instead.
- Check whether disablement or a family-pension category applies. Total and permanent disablement directs the member to Form 10D irrespective of age and service period according to the Form 10C instructions. Widow, children and orphan pension are also Form 10D categories.
- Read the current instructions for the exact category. The Form 10C and Form 10D documents contain conditions beyond the simple labels in the overview. Use the version currently supplied by EPFO, not an old saved copy or an unofficial summary.
- Submit only after your records match the claim. Compare your age, service period, exit reason and the pension or withdrawal category selected on the form. If any item is missing or incorrect in the account record, resolve that discrepancy through the current EPFO process before relying on a form choice.
Three thresholds that drive most decisions
The 10-year service threshold
Ten years is the key dividing line in the ordinary Form 10C/Form 10D decision. EPFO’s instructions describe withdrawal-benefit situations for certain members who leave before 10 years, while members with 10 or more years are directed toward scheme-certificate or pension categories depending on age and choice.
Do not treat 10 years as a simple calendar calculation without checking the service figure used by EPFO. A difference between your personal estimate and the recorded eligible service can move the claim into a different category.
Age 50
Age 50 is the point at which the reduced-pension option appears in the Form 10D instructions. Between 50 and 58, a member who has left service may apply for reduced pension, or may use the Form 10C scheme-certificate route if the member does not want reduced pension.
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchWindows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallAge 58
Age 58 is the superannuation-pension age listed in the Form 10D instructions. A member applying for monthly pension at that age uses Form 10D. The age threshold does not remove the need to verify service and other recorded conditions.
Online filing: what the older FAQ does and does not prove
EPFO’s “FAQs regarding Online Claim Settlement” document, identified as a 2017 FAQ, says that online Form 10C filing requires more than six months and less than 9.5 years of total service, in addition to the listed conditions for an online Form 19 claim.
That statement is a dated online-process description, not a current universal entitlement rule. It should not be used to conclude that every member with service in that range can file online today, or that a member outside it is necessarily ineligible for every Form 10C route. Portal rules, available claim types and system requirements can change. Confirm the current online conditions in EPFO’s present guidance and in the portal itself before submitting electronically.
Rank #4
The online threshold also does not convert Form 10C into a monthly-pension form. It concerns an online filing condition for the Form 10C route described in that 2017 FAQ. Monthly pension remains a Form 10D category under EPFO’s claim-form mapping.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Choosing Form 10C for a monthly pension. Form 10C is for withdrawal benefit or scheme certificate. Use Form 10D for monthly pension categories.
- Assuming every claim below 10 years is automatically payable. The service threshold identifies a category in the instructions; EPFO still checks the applicable conditions and recorded service.
- Ignoring the scheme-certificate option. Members with 10 or more years should not assume that the only choice is immediate pension. Under the listed conditions, Form 10C may be the scheme-certificate route, including for some members aged 50 to under 58 who do not want reduced pension.
- Using the normal age rule for disablement. The Form 10C instructions specifically direct a member who left because of total and permanent disablement to Form 10D, irrespective of age and service period.
- Applying for reduced pension without confirming that you left service. The Form 10D instructions describe the reduced-pension category for a member who has left service and is at least 50 but below 58.
- Treating a 2017 online FAQ as current portal policy. Use it as historical guidance only and verify the live EPFO process.
- Relying on age alone. Age does not reveal your service record, exit reason or family-pension status. Those facts can change the appropriate route.
- Using an unofficial or outdated form. EPFO’s overview and current form instructions should control the version and category you select.
Worked examples
Example 1: six years of service and leaving employment
A member who left before completing 10 years and is asking for a withdrawal benefit should examine Form 10C. The member should still compare the recorded service and other conditions with the current Form 10C instructions. Form 10D would not be selected merely because the member refers to the benefit as an EPS pension.
Example 2: 12 years of service and age 44
A member with 10 or more years who is under 50 falls in the scheme-certificate category listed in the Form 10C instructions. This is not the ordinary Form 10C withdrawal-benefit case described for someone who left before 10 years.
Example 3: 15 years of service, age 53, wants to wait
A member aged 50 or more but under 58 who does not want reduced pension should examine the Form 10C scheme-certificate route listed by EPFO. The member should not select Form 10D unless the intention is to claim the reduced-pension category and the other conditions are met.
Example 4: age 53, left service, wants monthly pension now
A member aged 50 or more but under 58 who has left service and wants reduced monthly pension should use Form 10D under the listed instructions. The pension is described as reduced because it is claimed before age 58.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Example 5: age 58 and applying for monthly pension
A member seeking superannuation pension at age 58 uses Form 10D. Form 10C is not the monthly-pension application in this situation.
Best Value
- It can be a gift option
- Comes with secure packaging
- Helpful in various ways
Example 6: left service because of total and permanent disablement
The disablement exception takes priority over the ordinary age-and-service shortcut. EPFO’s Form 10C instructions direct the member to apply for monthly disablement pension through Form 10D, irrespective of age and service period.
Example 7: eligible family pension claim
A widow, child or orphan claiming a listed family-pension category should use the Form 10D instructions. The claimant must follow the conditions and evidence requirements applicable to that category; Form 10C is not the family-pension application.
Checklist before you file
- Confirm whether the requested outcome is withdrawal benefit, scheme certificate or monthly pension.
- Verify the eligible service period shown in your EPFO record and whether it is below or above 10 years.
- Confirm your age band: under 50, 50 to under 58, or 58 and above.
- If you are 50 to under 58, decide explicitly whether you want reduced pension or the scheme-certificate route.
- Record whether you left service and, if so, the reason recorded for the exit.
- Check for the disablement exception or a widow, children or orphan pension category.
- Read the latest EPFO Form 10C and Form 10D instructions, because older PDFs and older online FAQs may not describe current portal behavior.
- Review the completed claim for consistency between your personal details, service record and selected benefit category.
- Keep a copy of the submitted form and any acknowledgement generated by the current EPFO channel.
If the portal does not show the expected claim
An unavailable online option does not, by itself, prove that you have no entitlement. EPFO’s employee-services material carries notices that online services may experience disruption. First distinguish a temporary service problem from a category or record problem: check the current notice, sign in again later, and compare the option shown with the latest instructions.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
If the category still does not appear, review the service duration, age, exit reason and family or disablement status recorded in your account. A mismatch can place the claim in a different route. Use the current EPFO instructions and official support channels for the next step rather than submitting a different form simply to force the claim through.
The practical rule
Start with the benefit, not the form number. For a withdrawal benefit or scheme certificate, examine Form 10C and its service-and-age conditions. For any monthly pension—including superannuation at 58, reduced pension after 50 and before 58, disablement pension, widow pension, children pension or orphan pension—use Form 10D and the instructions for that specific category.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
