The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has announced new rules to make it more convenient for its users to link Aadhaar with their Universal Account Number (UAN) and make changes to their personal details.
The fresh rules are aimed at speeding up access to provident fund services, reduce paperwork, and ensure timely payouts, especially in sensitive cases like those involving minors, without unnecessary procedural hurdles.
Direct Aadhaar-UAN linking if details match
- Simplified process: If your name, gender and date of birth in both Aadhaar and UAN records match, you can now directly approach your employer.
- Employer portal: The employer can then complete the Aadhaar seeding through the KYC function on the employer portal.
- No additional approval: This process no longer requires additional approval from EPFO, speeding up what was previously time consuming as even straightforward matches used to get delayed due to multiple verification layers.
Simplified Joint Declaration for mismatched details
The Joint Declaration (JD) mechanism has also been streamlined for cases where the Aadhaar and UAN details do not match, or where a wrong Aadhaar has been linked.
- Online Rectification: Employers can now submit online JD requests to correct details like name, gender or date of birth. This also applies to cases where a wrong Aadhaar number was linked by mistake.
- Physical submission: If a company is closed or an employer is unavailable, a member can submit a physical JD form. This form, attested by authorized officials, can be submitted at the Public Relations Officer (PRO) counter, who will then upload it for processing post verification.
However, it’s important to note that changes to Aadhaar details that have already been verified will not be cleared.
Timely payouts for minor beneficiaries
- No guardianship certificate required: In a major relief for minor beneficiaries, the EPFO no longer requires guardianship certificates for claim settlements to a deceased member’s minor children.
- Direct bank credit: Benefits, including both lump sum settlements and pension amounts, can be directly credited to the child’s bank account.
- PRO assistance: In order to streamline this process, EPFO officials are instructed to help claimants open accounts for minors to ensure timely and hassle-free payouts.
How to link Aadhaar to UAN online?
An user can easily link their Aadhaar to UAN using a government set up platform, called UMANG mobile app. In order to do so, follow these steps:
- Access the UMANG app and log in using your MPIN or OTP.
- Navigate to the “Services” tab and select “EPFO” option.
- Under the EPFO option, choose “e-KYC services”.
- Select the “Aadhaar Seeding” option.
- Enter your UAN and then enter the OTP that is sent to the registered mobile number.
- Enter your Aadhaar details and verify OTP sent to Aadhaar-linked mobile number and email.
Once the verification process is over and successful, your Aadhaar will be linked to UAN.
While the initial linking can be done within minutes, the actual verification and approval by the authorities can take up to 15 days. Typically, it takes around 3-5 days for the process to complete.