Expedite online disposal requests, directs Employees Provident Fund Organisation

New Delhi: The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has instructed its field offices to expedite disposal of online requests enabling provident fund members in financial distress to apply online for availing non-refundable advance.

A statement issued by the Labour and Employment Ministry also said the EPFO has issued a revised instructions to its field offices to facilitate provident fund members to rectify their date of birth in EPFO records, thus ensuring that “their UAN is KYC compliant”. The date of birth recorded in Aadhaar will now be accepted as valid proof of date of birth for the purpose of rectification, provided that the difference in the two dates is less than three years, it said.

The PF subscribers can submit the correction requests online, said the statement, adding this is a move of the EPFO to extend the availability and reach of online services in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

This will enable the Employees Provident Fund Organisation to validate the date of birth of members online with UIDAI instantaneously, thus authenticating and reducing the processing time of change requests, it said. This was the second such instruction given by the EPFO to its offices days after the Union Labour and Employment Ministry notified amendment to the Employees’ Provident Funds (EPF) Scheme to allow withdrawal of non-refundable advance by the members in the event of COVID-19 pandemic.

The EPFO had directed its field offices to implement the amendment when the Ministry had notified in March end.

The notification GSR 225(E) amends the EPF Scheme 1952 to allow the withdrawal of non-refundable advance by EPF members in the wake of the pandemic.The notification permits withdrawal not exceeding the basic wages and dearness allowance for three months or up to 75 per cent of the amount standing to member’s credit in the EPF account in the event of pandemic.

“COVID-19 has been declared pandemic by appropriate authorities for the entire country and, therefore, employees working in establishments and factories across entire India, who are members of the EPF Scheme, 1952, are eligible for the benefits of non-refundable advance,” the notification said. (IANS)

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