The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has streamlined the process of rectifying inaccurate personal details registered for managing individual provident funds. Over 7.6 crore members of the retirement fund body can now do that themselves online without the intervention of employers or the EPFO, a process which consumes about 28 days for completion of grievance redressal, Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Saturday.

This is for those category of members who were issued Universal Account Number (UAN) after October 1, 2017, the Minister said. The improved process at the EPFO has been introduced on Saturday.

If the UAN was issued prior to October 1, 2017, any correction can be made by the employer without the EPFO approval, Mandaviya stated. The requirement of supporting document has also been simplified for such cases, he informed.

Only where UAN is not linked with Aadhaar, any correction would have to be submitted physically to employer and after verification it will have to be forwarded to EPFO for approval.

Many a times, either employees themselves or employers commit error in recording personal details — including father’s and spouse name, marital status, nationality and service inputs — during the registration process or later.

Other than that, the members having valid e-KYC EPF accounts (Aadhaar seeded) can file their EPF transfer claims online with Aadhaar OTP (one time password) directly without any intervention of the employer.

Till now the process was long-drawn and frustrating. In order to correct these mistakes, the employee had to make a request online with supporting documents. The request would have to be verified by the employer and then forwarded to EPFO for approval before any change could be effected, the Minister pointed out.

This process was called ‘Joint Declaration’.

“We are trying to make the EPFO functioning at par with that of bank. Why can’t members log in and see the contribution from employers, balance in their accounts and withdraw 50 per cent of money (the permissible limit) as and when required. Ultimately, it’s their money,” Mandaviya told reporters.

In the last 9 months, 20 lakh claims were pending with employers. Out of the 8 lakh requests forwarded to EPFO by employer in financial year (FY) 2024-25, it was seen that only 40 per cent were sent within 5 days, 47 per cent after 10 days and the average time taken by employer was 28 days, Mandaviya said.

Such grievances were 27 per cent of the total complaints the EPFO would get. Many employers also do not pay their contribution to EPF and in some cases it’s delayed, the Ministry is aware.

An employee faces more trouble if he has to settle his PF issues in case he leaves that job for another. The employers don’t take interest in such matters since the claimant is not longer their employee.

The Minister was of the view that the simplification would provide relief to employees in 45 per cent cases through immediate correction through Aadhaar OTP verification and in balance 50 per cent cases through the employer itself.

If any member who can self-approve has already filed his request which is pending with the employer, the member can delete the already filed request and self-approve as per simplified process. This will benefit nearly 3.9 lakh cases pending with the employer as on date, the Minister.

Large employers who had huge workload due to such requests will also be benefitted due to self-correction by employees.