New Delhi. The Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has made important changes in the rules related to PF claims. Now Aadhaar will not be mandatory for all employees for PF claims.
The requirement to link Universal Account Number (UAN) with Aadhaar has been abolished for certain categories of employees. This step has brought relief to those employees for whom it is not possible to get Aadhaar. This change will provide great relief to those employees for whom Aadhaar related problems were a hindrance in PF claims till now.
Employees who do not have Aadhaar can still make claims under EPFO. They have the option of verification through passport, citizenship certificate or other official identity cards. Apart from this, identity will also be verified through PAN card, bank account details and other criteria. In cases of claims of more than ₹ 5 lakh, the employer will be asked to confirm the authenticity of the member.
Which employees will get exemption?
According to the rules of EPFO, if any employee has to settle PF claim i.e. withdraw money from PF, then his Universal Account Number and Aadhaar number should be linked for that. Now EPFO has exempted some employees from this rule. These employees are….
- International workers who have returned to their country after working in India and could not obtain Aadhaar.
- Indians holding foreign citizenship who could not get Aadhaar.
- Citizens of Nepal and Bhutan, for whom Aadhaar will not be mandatory.
- Former Indian citizens who have gone abroad permanently also come under the purview of this exemption.
Claim Process Rules
EPFO has instructed the officials that any claim should be carefully scrutinized. After this, approval will be given through the e-office file through the Officer-in-Charge (OIC). Also, employees have been advised to maintain the same UAN number or transfer their previous service record to the same UAN. This will make the claim process simpler and faster.
