EPFO Provides New Process to Update EPF Account Details

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) issued a new circular to standardise the updation process of Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) member account details. The new circular contains a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to correct or update details of EPF members such as name, gender, date of birth, etc. 

The EPFO circular issued on 23 August 2023 observed that non-standardisation and unregulated processes have led to tinkering with member identities, sometimes leading to fraud and impersonation.

The new SOP allows EPF members to update 11 profile-related parameters: Name, Date of birth, Gender, Relationship, Father name, Martial status, Date of joining, Date of leaving, Reason for leaving, Aadhaar number and Nationality.

The changes in these 11 parameters are classified as major and minor changes. EPF members must submit at least two documents for minor changes, while at least three documents are required for major changes. 

The following are considered as minor changes in the profile-related parameters:

• Name: When two or less than two alphabets get changed but the name does not get changed phonetically, adding surname after marriage in case of females or removing salutations like Dr, Shri, Mrs, etc.
• Gender: Female, male or other change
• Date of birth: When the change is less than three years
• Father name: When two or less than two alphabets get changed but the name does not change phonetically or removing salutations like Dr, Shri, Mrs, etc.
• Relationship: Change in the relationship of mother or father
• Marital status: Changes when the EPF member is alive
• Date of joining: Changes when the EPF member is alive
• Reason for leaving: Changes when the EPF member is alive
• Date of leaving: Changes when the EPF member is alive
• Nationality: Change in non-SSA to non-SSA country, SSA to SSA country or SSA to non-SSA country

SSA country means countries with which India has a Social Security Agreement

The following are considered as minor changes in the profile-related parameters:

• Name: When more than two alphabets change and the name also changes phonetically, when less than two alphabets change but the name gets changed phonetically or expanding the name
• Date of birth: When the change is more than three years
• Father name: When more than two alphabets change and the name also changes phonetically, inserting the name for the first time or expanding the name
• Marital status: Changes after the death of the EPF member
• Date of joining: Changes after the death of the EPF member
• Reason for leaving: Changes after the death of the EPF member
• Date of leaving: Changes after the death of the EPF member
• Nationality: Change from non-SSA to SSA country
• Aadhaar: All types of updation or changes related to the Aadhaar card

EPF members must upload the documentary proof, irrespective of minor or major changes in the EPF account details, along with the application form to correct the login details.

Aadhaar is mandatorily required to be uploaded. Thus, for minor updation, along with the Aadhaar card, one more document, such as PAN, passport, voter card, etc., has to be uploaded. For major updation, along with the Aadhaar card, two more documents have to be submitted.

The EPFO’s new circular has restricted the number of times corrections can be made by an EPF account holder in the profile details. The number of times changes allowed for all 11 profile-related parameters are once, except for marital status, for which changes can be made twice. Thus, out of the 11 parameters, only marital status can be changed twice.

The EPFO will process the minor request for updation in the EPF profile within T+7 days, while for major request updation, the EPFO will process it within T+15 days. It will also send an SMS and email to the mobile number linked to the Aadhaar number of the EPF member at every stage of the process.

The process to apply for minor and major changes in the EPF profile is as follows:

• Visit the EPFO Member Sewa portal and log in using UAN and password.
• Click on the ‘Joint Declaration (JD)’ tab.
• Enter the OTP received on the mobile number. The joint declaration form will appear on the screen.
• Submit the required details, upload the supporting documents and submit the request.
• The request will be sent to the employer to verify it.
• The employer will check the details to be changed with their records. If it matches, the employer will forward the joint declaration application to the EFPO office for updation.
• If information on the joint declaration application is lacking or missing, it will be sent back to the EPF member and reflected on the EPF member’s account.

The joint declaration application submitted by the EPF account holder will be reflected in the employer’s login. Further, an email will also be sent to the employers’ registered email ID. However, EPF members can change or update the account details of only those accounts generated by the present employer and not the PF accounts created in previous organisations.

For any clarifications/feedback on the topic, please contact the writer at mayashree.acharya@cleartax.in