The Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has made some important changes to facilitate salaried employees and speed up digital processes. These new rules related to PF withdrawal, UAN activation, and account transfer are crucial. Some of these changes have already been implemented, while others are steps towards digitizing the process. 

Auto-settlement for final PF withdrawal:

Previously, the auto-settlement feature was only available for advance claims (Advance PF) up to ₹5 lakh. Now, the EPFO ​​has decided to extend this feature to the final PF withdrawal process as well. This will ensure that your PF funds are credited immediately.

Central Provident Fund Commissioner Ramesh Krishnamurthy had said at an event in May that till now only advance PF claims up to Rs 5 lakh were processed through auto-settlement, but now this facility will be extended to the final withdrawal process as well.

UAN activation now on 'UMANG' app:

Employees will no longer be able to activate or generate their UAN directly from the Unified Member Portal. This service has now been moved to the UMANG app. Face authentication has been made mandatory.

PF auto-transfer on job change:

Transferring the balance in your PF account after changing jobs has become very easy. If your UAN is linked to Aadhaar and your KYC is complete, your PF account will be automatically transferred upon joining a new company. Now, the hassle of visiting your old or new company and filling out separate forms at the EPFO ​​​​is over.

Earlier, PF account transfer required approval from the old and new employer as well as the EPFO ​​office.

Claims will be settled in just 1 to 2 days:

According to information provided by the EPFO, most new PF claims will now be settled within one to two days. Furthermore, a 20-day deadline has been set for EPS (pension) claims. If the work is not completed within this time, the concerned official may be charged 12% annual interest as late compensation.

Facility to withdraw PF through UPI and ATM

PF claim settlement will soon be available through the BHIM app. This will deposit claim amounts directly into members' UPI-linked bank accounts. Krishnamurthy announced this in July. It will be implemented next month. No further details have been provided yet, but it is expected that this feature will be available within the next few days. This decision will make PF withdrawals easier and faster.