EPFO Members Can Now Update Personal Information Directly, Without Employer Approval

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has introduced a new facility that allows its 7.6 crore members to update personal details like their name, date of birth, gender, nationality, and more directly online, without requiring approval from their employer or EPFO. This change, rolled out on Saturday, is expected to simplify the process and reduce delays that often resulted from employer verification.

In addition to enabling personal details corrections, members with Aadhaar-linked e-KYC EPF accounts can now file their EPF transfer claims directly to EPFO using an Aadhaar OTP, without needing the employer’s involvement. This move aims to streamline both the correction and transfer claim processes, providing quicker resolutions and reducing the burden on employers, especially large ones that handle a high volume of requests.

Union Labour & Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya highlighted that around 27% of the grievances filed by EPFO members were related to issues with member profiles and KYC mismatches. The new system, he stated, is expected to significantly reduce such grievances. Additionally, the EPFO’s simplified process for updating details, like marital status, spouse name, and service details, will benefit employees by allowing self-correction of common errors, without needing employer or EPFO approval.

The facility is available to members who have a UAN (Universal Account Number) issued after October 1, 2017, when Aadhaar verification was made mandatory. For these members, no supporting documents are required for corrections. However, if the UAN was issued before this date, or if the UAN is not linked to Aadhaar, employees still need to submit correction requests through their employer for approval by EPFO.

Previously, employees had to submit requests for corrections through the Joint Declaration process, which required verification by the employer and approval by EPFO, causing delays. In FY 2024-25, about 8 lakh requests forwarded by employers to EPFO showed that only 40% were submitted within five days, while 47% took over ten days to process, with an average waiting time of 28 days.

With the new system, employees can now immediately correct details using Aadhaar OTP verification, or if the employer still needs to verify the correction, that process will be more streamlined. If an employee has already submitted a request that is pending with the employer, they can now cancel it and self-approve the changes via the simplified process, benefiting an estimated 3.9 lakh pending cases.

Additionally, the new system for EPF account transfers simplifies the claim filing process. Members with fully compliant e-KYC accounts can file transfer claims directly to EPFO, bypassing the employer verification stage. During FY 2024-25, 94% of the claims are expected to be processed instantly, significantly reducing the time taken for processing transfer claims, which previously required employer validation before reaching EPFO. With this improvement, grievances related to transfers, which currently account for 17% of all EPFO-related complaints, are expected to decrease considerably.

The simplification of EPF transfer claims will benefit employees who switch jobs frequently, as the process will no longer be delayed by employer approval. EPFO also plans to further simplify its internal processes for handling transfer claims, aiming to speed up the overall processing time and reduce pending claims, which often took employers 12 to 13 days on average to forward.

These reforms align with the government’s ongoing efforts to modernize public services, with the aim of making EPFO services more efficient and user-friendly. By making the system more streamlined and transparent, the EPFO hopes to reduce delays, improve member satisfaction, and reduce administrative workloads for employers, especially large organizations that handle a large number of EPF-related requests.

Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)

This transition towards a more efficient, automated process is seen as a significant step in bringing EPFO services in line with modern banking systems, which are known for their speed and efficiency. As these improvements are implemented, EPFO members can expect a much smoother experience when managing their accounts, making it easier to handle corrections, transfers, and claims.

Also Read-

BGMI 3.6 Update: 120 FPS Support – Unlocking Unmatched Performance for Mobile Gamers