You can now change personal details, transfer PF online yourself
What's the story
The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has launched two new online facilities, benefiting more than 7.6 crore members.
Members can now change personal details like name and date of birth without employer verification or EPFO approval.
The second facility allows members having e-KYC EPF accounts (Aadhaar-seeded) to file their EPF transfer claims online through an Aadhaar OTP.
This process does away with the requirement of employer intervention.
Reason
Improvements are aimed at curbing grievances
Union Labour & Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that these improvements are aimed at simplifying procedures and curbing grievances related to member profile/KYC issues. These presently constitute about 27% of all complaints filed by members.
Employer relief
New facility to benefit large employers
The minister also said that large employers, usually weighed down by several such requests, will benefit from these new facilities.
The EPFO has simplified the joint declaration process on its portal by permitting employees to correct common mistakes in personal details like name, date of birth, gender, nationality, father/mother's name without any employer verification or EPFO approval.
Eligibility
New facility applicable to UANs issued post-Oct 2017
The new facility applies for members whose UAN (universal account number) was issued after October 1, 2017. This was when Aadhaar matching became mandatory.
No supporting document is required in such cases.
However, if the UAN was issued before this date or is not linked with Aadhaar, any correction would have to be submitted physically to the employer and after verification, forwarded to EPFO for approval.
Claim processing
EPFO simplifies process for transfer claims
EPFO's new rule is expected to significantly lower the turnaround time of EPF transfer claim processing as it does not require approval by the employer.
If a member has already filed a transfer claim which is pending with the employer, then he/she can delete the already filed request and submit claim directly with EPFO.