The Employees&rsquo; Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has announced two key reforms to streamline the claim settlement process, eliminating the need to upload a cheque or bank passbook photo while filing online claims. This move is expected to benefit over 7.7 crore members.
Key Highlights of the Reform:
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">The requirement to upload a cheque or certified bank passbook for online claims has been removed.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">The reform was initially introduced as a pilot project for select members to update their KYC. Since its launch on May 28, 2024, nearly 1.7 crore EPFO members have already benefited.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Following the success of the pilot, the facility has now been extended to all members.</li>
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Why Was This Change Made?
According to the Union Ministry of Labour &amp; Employment, when a member links their bank account with their Universal Account Number (UAN), the account holder&rsquo;s details are already verified with EPFO records. Hence, the additional document requirement was deemed unnecessary.
Additionally, to further ease the bank linking process, EPFO has removed the need for employer approval after bank verification.
Impact on Members
Currently, all EPFO members are required to link their bank accounts with UAN to facilitate easy PF withdrawals. Among the 7.74 crore active contributors, around 4.83 crore members have already linked their bank accounts, while 14.95 lakh requests are still pending at the employer level.
The ministry also stated that these reforms will help members who wish to update their linked bank account by entering their new bank account number and IFSC code and verifying it via Aadhaar OTP.
This major step is expected to reduce claim rejections, improve processing speed, and make EPF withdrawals more seamless for millions of employees.
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EPFO’s reforms are aimed at increasing claim processing speed and cutting down on rejections

No cancelled cheque, bank verification required to file online claims now

EPFO Simplifies Claim Settlement Process

No cancelled cheque, bank verification required to file online claims now

April 3, 2025 | 19:43 IST