EPFO: EPFO changes UAN activation process; the portal can no longer be used for this..

EPFO: If you have an Employees' Provident Fund (PF) account, this news is important for you. Following an upgrade to its Unified Member Portal, the EPFO ​​has revised several rules. The most significant change is that the facility to activate a UAN or generate a new UAN is no longer available on the EPFO ​​portal; users must now utilize the UMANG app for these tasks. Additionally, Aadhaar-based face authentication has been made mandatory. The EPFO ​​states that the objective behind these changes is to make services more secure, faster, and more reliable.

**UAN Activation No Longer Available on EPFO ​​Portal**
The EPFO ​​has removed the UAN activation facility from its Unified Member Portal. Previously, members could activate their Universal Account Number (UAN) by visiting the member portal, but this feature has now been discontinued. Similarly, the option to generate a new UAN has been removed from the website. Users must now rely solely on the UMANG app for both these services, consolidating all UAN-related processes onto a single platform.

**How ​​to Activate UAN via the UMANG App**
To activate your UAN, you must first download the UMANG app on your mobile device. Next, navigate to 'EPFO Services' and select the 'UAN Services Through Face Auth' option. Click on 'UAN Activation' and complete the Aadhaar-based face authentication process. You can then finalize the activation by following the on-screen instructions. UAN activation is no longer possible without face authentication.

**Process for Generating a New UAN Has Also Changed**
Employees requiring a new UAN must now use the UMANG app. To do this, open 'EPFO Services' within the app and select the 'UAN Allotment and Activation' option. You will then need to complete the Aadhaar-based face authentication. Once all necessary details are verified, the new UAN will be issued. The EPFO ​​has completely removed this facility from its website.

**How ​​to Retrieve a Forgotten UAN**
The process for retrieving a UAN has been simplified on the upgraded EPFO ​​portal. To retrieve it, members simply need to enter their registered mobile number and upload an identity document or proof of address. Verification will be completed once the OTP received on the mobile number is entered. Following this, members can retrieve their UAN.

**Death claim facility to remain on the portal**
Although UAN-related services have moved to the UMANG app, the facility to file death claims will continue to be available on the EPFO’s Unified Member Portal. To avail of this, one must upload the Aadhaar-linked mobile number, bank account details, the member's death certificate, and a copy of a cancelled cheque or bank passbook. All documents must be in PDF format, and each file size should be less than 2 MB.

**Reasons for the changes and points to note**
According to the EPFO, these changes have been implemented to make the portal safer, faster, and more reliable. The database has been updated, and software improvements have been made. The organization has also stated that the processing of claims and other online requests may take longer than usual during the initial two weeks. Therefore, members are advised to avoid submitting multiple applications or logging in repeatedly for the same task.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Money Control. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.