EPFO removes two more claim settlement requirements

Representative image
| Photo Credit: SUPREET SAPKAL

The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has further simplified the claim settlement process here on Thursday (April 3, 2025) by removing the requirement of uploading an image of a cheque leaf or attested bank passbook while filing online claims. The requirement of employer approval for seeding bank account details with the Universal Account Number (UAN) has also been removed. Announcing the decision, Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said these measures will significantly streamline the process of claim settlement and reduce grievances related to claim rejections.

The Union Labour Ministry said in a statement that by removing the requirement of uploading an image of a cheque, around six crore members will benefit. It said the move will eliminate claim rejections due to poor-quality/ unreadable uploads and reducing associated grievances. “This requirement was initially relaxed on a pilot basis for certain KYC-updated members. Since its launch on May 28, 2024, the move has already benefited 1.7 crore EPF members,” the statement said. “As the bank account holder’s name is already verified with the EPF member’s details at the time of bank account seeding with the Universal Account Number (UAN), this additional documentation is no longer necessary,” it added.

On removing the requirement of employer approval for seeding bank account details with the UAN, the EPFO said currently, every member is required to seed their bank account with UAN in order to get their provident fund (PF) withdrawals seamlessly credited to such account.

In 2024-25, 1.3 crore members submitted their requests for the process with around 36,000 requests being raised by the members on a daily basis. “Out of 7.74 crore members who are presently contributing each month, already 4.83 crore members have seeded their bank accounts in UAN with 14.95 lakh approvals are pending at the level of the employers. Accordingly, with a view to facilitate ‘Ease of Doing Business’ to the employers and ‘Ease of Living’ to the members, the role of employer to approve the verification of bank account has now been dispensed with in the seeding process of the member’s bank account. This will immediately benefit over 14.95 lakh members whose approvals are pending with the employers,” the Ministry said.