A Secret EPFO Update Could Revolutionize Your UAN Activation – Here's What You Need to Know
New Delhi(The Uttam Hindu): The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has introduced a new feature allowing its members to generate and activate their Universal Account Number (UAN) using Aadhaar Face Authentication Technology (FAT) through the UMANG mobile app. This secure, contactless service marks a significant advancement in providing a seamless and digital experience for millions of EPFO members. Previously, UANs were mostly generated by employers using employee data submitted to the EPFO. However, issues such as incorrect details for father’s name, mobile numbers or date of birth were common. These errors often caused delays and corrections during claim processing or when accessing other EPFO services.
In the 2024-25 financial year, out of 1.26 crore UANs allotted, only 44.68 lakh (35.30%) were activated by the members. The EPFO had sent several reminders to employers, urging them to get employees to activate their UAN using Aadhaar OTP for seamless future benefits under the Employment Linked Scheme, potentially via direct benefit transfer (DBT). In many cases, UANs were not communicated to employees, or mobile numbers were incorrect, making direct communication difficult. The separate process of activating UAN through Aadhaar OTP validation on the EPFO Member portal also led to confusion.
To address these issues, the EPFO has now introduced direct UAN generation and activation via Face Authentication through the UMANG app. This service is available to both employees and employers, offering 100% validation of Aadhaar and the user's identity via face recognition. User data is pre-populated directly from the Aadhaar database. The activation process matches the mobile number of the user with the one registered in Aadhaar, and UAN activation is completed on the EPFO portal simultaneously.
Once an employee joins, they can provide a copy of the e-UAN card PDF and UAN to the employer for onboarding with the EPFO. Access to EPFO services such as passbook viewing, KYC updates, claim submission, and more will be available immediately. Last week, the government also introduced two key reforms in the EPFO claim settlement process. The requirement for uploading a cheque leaf image or an attested bank passbook during online claims has been removed, benefiting over 7.7 crore members. Additionally, the need for employer approval after bank verification has also been waived.
