EPFO Members Can Now Update Personal Details and Transfer EPF Online Without Employer Intervention

New Delhi, Jan 18: More than 7.6 crore members of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) can now update personal details such as their name and date of birth online without requiring employer verification or EPFO approval, thanks to a new feature launched on Saturday.
Additionally, EPFO members with e-KYC accounts linked to Aadhaar can submit their EPF transfer claims online using an Aadhaar OTP (one-time password), eliminating the need for employer intervention.
Union Labour & Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced the launch of these services on Saturday.
He noted that approximately 27 percent of grievances filed by members relate to profile/KYC issues, and this new facility is expected to significantly reduce that number. Large employers burdened with numerous requests will also find this streamlined process beneficial.
The EPFO has made it easier for members to correct common errors in personal information—such as name, date of birth, gender, nationality, and marital status—by allowing self-corrections via the EPFO portal without needing employer validation or EPFO approval.
This service is available to members whose Universal Account Number (UAN) was issued after October 1, 2017, when Aadhaar verification became mandatory. The minister emphasized that no additional documentation is needed in these cases.
For those with UANs issued before this date, employers can still make corrections without EPFO’s approval, while documentation requirements have been simplified.
If a UAN is not linked to Aadhaar, any changes must be submitted physically to the employer, who will then verify and send it to EPFO for approval.
The UAN is registered by employers when employees join. Mistakes often occur when employers incorrectly record names, marital status, and other personal details. Previously, employees could only request corrections online with supporting documents, which had to be verified by employers and submitted to EPFO, a process known as Joint Declaration.
During the fiscal year 2024-25, out of 800,000 requests forwarded to EPFO by employers, only 40 percent were sent within five days. The average time for submission was 28 days, with significant delays noted.
The new simplifications will allow for immediate corrections in 45 percent of cases via Aadhaar OTP, while the remaining 50 percent will be managed through employer submissions.
Members who can self-approve may delete any pending requests and utilize the new process instead, benefiting approximately 390,000 currently pending cases.
Regarding the simplification of EPF transfer claims, the minister stated that members with fully compliant e-KYC accounts can file their transfer claims directly with EPFO, bypassing employer involvement.
Out of an anticipated 1.3 crore claims in FY 2024-25, over 94 percent (1.2 crore) are expected to be processed quickly without employer involvement. Consequently, the processing time for transfer claims will significantly decrease.
Members with pending transfer claims can also withdraw those requests and submit them directly to EPFO through the new process, which is projected to substantially reduce grievances related to transfers, currently at 17 percent of total complaints.
Large employers will see considerable improvements in operational efficiency regarding these cases; EPFO’s internal processes for transfer claims are also being expedited this month.
Currently, requests for PF account transfers due to job changes require employer certification before reaching EPFO, typically taking 12 to 13 days for verification. Over the last nine months, nearly 20 lakh claims have remained with employers for over 15 days.
The minister concluded by mentioning ongoing initiatives to enhance EPFO service delivery to match banking standards. (Agencies)