How Aadhaar card information will be integrated with EPF account in 2025 According to WireThe Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has introduced a new rule for the transfer of Aadhaar card regarding EPF.
These changes will impact millions of EPF members for whom Aadhaar holds a crucial position both for KYC or other services of EPFO. It is important for staff, desiring to handle their provident fund accounts effectively, to know these changes.
Date of Birth Cannot be Changed In Aadhaar Now
In a key policy change, EPFO has said that Aadhaar will not be accepted as valid proof for changing date of birth in EPF records.
This is a must update as it brings the documentation policies of EPFO in sync with that followed by UIDAI for Aadhaar. This implecation means that Aadhaar only suggests whatever details user has provided without knowing if it has been verified or not.
“The orders would be uniform in all regional offices of EPFO from 2025,” recent EPFO communications said. The EPF account-holders seeking a correction in date of birth will now have to provide alternative doc along with the application form which supports to the date of birth.
Alternative Documents for Change of Date of Birth
If you are an EPF account holder and want to correct your date of birth in the EPFO record, the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) now mandates submission of any of the following documents issued by the government:
Birth Certificate
School Leaving Certificate
Passport
PAN Card
any other government-issued evidence specifically indicating date of birth
These papers should be original and should clearly indicate the date of birth. The higher requirement for verification is intended to improve accuracy of data in the EPFo system and minimising incorrect payments on account of wrong details.
– Revised Procedure for Revision in Date of Birth
The process of updating DOB of members in EPF now as revised, can be summarised as below:
Sign into the UAN Portal with the credentials already being used
Click on ’Manage’ > ‘Modify Basic Details’
Provide Date of Birth accurately.
Choose the Type of Document You Are Uploading from the dropdown box
Attach the proof document in scanned form
Send the request and wait for the approvals
The clarification is that this process is a dual verification – first from the employer and then from the EPFO field officer.
Subscribers must monitor the status of the application through the‘ Track Application’ tab on the UAN portal and ensure that the employer approves the request at the earliest.
Aadhaar Still Mandatory for other EPFO Services
It is to be noted that Aadhaar is no longer required for change of date of birth services, but is mandatory for all other EPFO services. It is mandatory to link your Aadhaar with UAN for:
Online claim submissions
EPF withdrawals
Account transfers
Availing the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme
In fact, According little disappointed … this site EPFO has stated that employee have to activate there UAN and have to seed them with aadhaar and bank account to remain unavail for the ELI Scheme.
The integration allows for directly deposited funds to bank accounts as well as simplified verification of a multitude of services.
Cut Off date for becoming eligible under ELI Scheme
To avail benefits under the Employment Linked Incentive scheme, employees need to get the relevant linkage before January 15, 2025, EPFO said. Employees will need to have done the following items by this time:
Registered/Activated their UAN (Universal Account Number)
Linked their UAN with Aadhaar
Linked their bank acocunt to the UAN
Ordered that their Aadhaar card be linked to a mobile number
Not doing so within the timeframe could make the ELI scheme benefits inapplicable, proving how KYC should have been kept current after all.
Online and Offline Methods for Linking Aadhaar with DigiLocker
For those employees who are yet to link their Aadhaar with EPF accounts, there are still several channels available :
Online Methods:
EPFO Member Portal: Login using the UAN and password, go to KYC under the ‘Manage’ tab and provide your Aadhaar details
UMANG App: Tap to EPFO services, select ‘e-KYC services’ then Preceding line -> Aadhaar Seeding.
Offline Method:
Go to any EPFO Office with below DocumentsAADHAAR Seeding Application form duly complete 2.
Attach self-attested copies of UAN, PAN, and Aadhaar along with the form.
Await verification and confirmation on registered mobile number through SMS
Why These Changes Matter
The limit on Aadhaar for updating date of birth tackles a basic flaw in the design of the Aadhaar system.
Aadhaar does not authenticate the birth date information, it just logs the information given by the applicants and so, EPFO now needs a proof that will support in authenticating that point.
Why EPF account holders need to correct date of birth in EPF records:
Qualification of retirement benefits
Calculating pension amounts
Processing withdrawal claims
Provision to disburse benefits to beneficiaries in a time period
I wrote a blog post before about it. A Wrong birth date can delay the processing of your claims, and can muddle things up with your pension calculation, retirement plans etc.
The tougher norms were unveiled with the objective of improving data integrity in the EPFO system.
EPFO Update for Changes in Aadhar Card
In the wake of these developments, EPF subscribers must do a few things proactively:
Existing information Verification:Verify present date of birth details available in EPF accounts by UAN portal.
Documentation: Collect Valid Govt. issued document for proof of DOB correction if there are changes to be done for DOB.
Full Aadhaar UAN Linking: It is mandatory to have Aadhaar linked to UAN if it is not done already
Update Mobile Number: Ensure the mobile number linked to Aadhaar is current and in use
Some ELI deadlines to meet: Finish all necessary linkings till January 15, 2025 for ELI scheme applicability
In case EPF account holders are facing any issue in the above processes, they can get in touch with the helpdesk of EPFO at 1800118005 which is operational seven days a week from 09:15 AM to 05:45 PM for all queries pertaining to UAN and KYC services.
These developments are part of EPFO’s focus on data accuracy, better service to members and overall compliance with norms in the field of policy-making.
However, in the technology age easier, knowing what are the documentation needs are must for every EPF subscriber.