Government Releases New Circular on EPF Account Updates: Key Details You Should Know
The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has recently introduced a new circular aimed at streamlining the process of correcting EPF member details. This standardized operating procedure (SOP) is designed to simplify the correction of information such as names and birthdates, ultimately reducing claim processing rejections and preventing fraudulent activities stemming from data discrepancies.
The circular, dated August 23, 2023, addresses the need for a regulated and standardized process. It acknowledges that the absence of such standardization has sometimes allowed unauthorized changes to member identities, leading to impersonation and fraud.
The newly introduced SOP empowers EPF members to update 11 critical profile-related parameters, including:
- Name
- Gender
- Date of birth
- Father’s name
- Relationship status
- Marital status
- Date of joining
- Reason for leaving
- Date of leaving
- Nationality
- Aadhaar number
One of the primary reasons for the rejection of EPF withdrawal claims has been discrepancies between the provided details and EPFO records, particularly concerning names and birthdates. With the implementation of this new SOP, the likelihood of EPFO rejecting an Employee Provident Withdrawal Claim due to such discrepancies is significantly reduced.
How to Request Changes in Your EPF Account
As per the latest EPFO circular, EPF account holders are required to submit correction requests for their profile details through the Member Sewa Portal. Additionally, they must upload the necessary supporting documents to the portal, where they will be stored for future reference.
Furthermore, any changes initiated by EPF members must undergo validation by their respective employers. The EPFO circular states, “The request submitted by the EPF account holder will also be reflected in the employer’s login. Further, an automatic email will be sent to the employer’s registered email ID. EPF members can only get the data corrected for those member accounts which are generated by the present employer.”
This streamlined process not only reduces the likelihood of claim rejections but also ensures greater accuracy and transparency in EPF member profiles.
