EPFO Members Can Now Change Details, Transfer EPF Online Without Employer Intervention
New Online Facilities for EPFO Members
Over 7.6 crore members of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) can now change personal details like name and date of birth online without any verification by the employer or approval by EPFO. This new facility was launched on Saturday. Additionally, EPFO members with e-KYC EPF accounts (Aadhaar seeded) can file their EPF transfer claims online with Aadhaar OTP (one-time password) directly, without needing employer intervention.
Launch of New Services
Union Labour & Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya introduced these two new services on Saturday. The minister noted that around 27% of grievances filed by members are related to member profile/KYC issues, which is expected to significantly decrease after this facility rollout. He also stated that large employers will also benefit from reduced workload.
Simplified Joint Declaration Process
The EPFO has simplified the process of joint declaration by allowing employees to self-correct common errors in personal details like name, date of birth, gender, nationality, father/mother's name, marital status, spouse name, date of joining, and date of leaving. This facility is available for members whose UAN (universal account number) was issued after October 1, 2017 (when Aadhaar matching became mandatory). No supporting documents are required in such cases. If the UAN was issued prior to October 1, 2017, the employer can correct details without EPFO approval. Simplified documentation is also available for these cases.
Correction Process for Non-Aadhaar Linked Accounts
Only in cases where the UAN is not linked with Aadhaar, any correction must be submitted physically to the employer and forwarded to EPFO for approval after verification. Previously, the employee had to make an online request with supporting documents, which had to be verified by the employer and then forwarded to EPFO for approval. This process often took an average of 28 days, with only 40% of requests sent within 5 days, and 47% sent after 10 days.
Benefits of Simplification
The simplification will provide relief in 45% of cases through immediate correction using Aadhaar OTP verification and in 50% of cases through the employer. Members who have pending requests with their employers can delete the existing request and self-approve using the new simplified process. This will benefit approximately 3.9 lakh cases that are currently pending with employers.
Simplified EPF Transfer Claims
For EPF transfer claims, members with fully compliant e-KYC EPF accounts can file online claims with Aadhaar OTP directly with EPFO, without the need for employer intervention. It is estimated that more than 94% of the 1.3 crore claims filed during FY 2024-25 will now reach EPFO instantly, significantly reducing the turnaround time for claim processing. Any member with a pending transfer claim with their employer can delete the existing request and submit the claim directly with EPFO. This simplification is expected to reduce member grievances considerably and will also reduce rejections.
The minister also stated that the ministry is taking steps to improve EPFO service delivery to be on par with the banking system.
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