Applications for the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) i-Sinar facility are now open for those who fall under Category 2. Starting from today 11 January 2021, eligible Category 2 members can visit the official i-Sinar website to apply online.

As determined by the EPF, members who fall under Category 2 for the i-Sinar programme are those whose total income has been reduced by 30% and above from March 2020 onwards. Total income includes your base salary and other benefits such as allowances and overtime.

On the main page for the i-Sinar portal, you begin your application as a Category 2 member by clicking “No” to the question asked. Those who answer “Yes” should be Category 1 members who have not contributed to the EPF for at least 2 consecutive months or those with a reduction of base salary by 30% and above.

Category 2 members will have to go through a verification process based on supporting documents before being approved for i-Sinar. The documents that you will need to prepare are:

1. Payslip before reduction in income (includes salary, fixed allowances, overtime, any other allowances; does not include any bonuses in the last 12 months from date of application)
2. Payslip after reduction in income (includes salary, fixed allowances, overtime, any other allowances; does not include bonus given between April 2020 up until the month of application)
3. Verification notice from your employer about the reduction in salary/allowance/overtime
4. Other supporting documents that prove your reduction income, eg bank statement (optional)

If you are not formally employed (eg self-employed, e-hailing driver, freelancer) but have also faced a reduction in income, you can submit any documents that will show your income before and after the reduction. For example, you can show your bank statement of any one month between April 2019 and March 2020, together with a bank statement showing reduced income in any of the months between April 2020 and January 2021.

You can upload these documents when you make your online application on the i-Sinar website. According to the EPF, even photos of the necessary documents taken via your mobile phone will be sufficient; you just need to make sure that the photographs are clear and readable. In-person submission of documents is discouraged due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but you can schedule an appointment if necessary.

Unlike the process for Category 1 members who began their applications earlier from 21 December, the submission of supporting documents are a must for members in Category 2. Therefore, make sure that you have anything in order and that the photos you provide are clear. If there are issues with your supporting documents, you may be asked to re-upload them – and you must do so before 30 June 2021 in order to complete your application.

So, if you fall under Category 2 and have decided to make use of the i-Sinar facility to help with your financial difficulties, go on over to the i-Sinar online portal to make your applications now.

• TAGS:
• Category 2
• Category 2 i-Sinar
• Employees’ Provident Fund
• EPF
• EPF i-Sinar
• EPF Withdrawals
• i-Sinar
• i-Sinar Applications