Good news for over 7 crore EPF members! The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has made two big changes that will make withdrawing your PF smoother, quicker, and less frustrating. These aren’t just cosmetic updates—they tackle the two biggest reasons behind claim delays and rejections.
Reform 1: No More Cheque or Passbook Uploads
- If you’ve ever filed a PF claim, chances are you’ve faced this: uploading a cancelled cheque or passbook image, only to have your claim rejected due to “poor image quality” or “mismatched account number.” In fact, an estimated 30–35% of delays in PF claims can be traced back to this one step.
- Until now, even minor issues like an unclear scanned cheque or an ink smudge could stall a withdrawal for weeks. But that’s history. With the new rule, if your bank account is already verified and linked with your UAN, no document upload is needed at all.
Why it matters: The bank account is already authenticated via Aadhaar and NPCI. Rechecking the same thing using a document is just wasted time.
Reform 2: No Employer Approval Needed for Bank Seeding
- This one’s even bigger. Earlier, even after your bank account was verified, your employer had to digitally approve it using DSC (Digital Signature Certificate) or e-sign. Sounds simple? It wasn’t.
- In many cases, employers took 10–15 days to act. Worse, some were unresponsive or no longer operational. We’ve seen countless users stuck simply because an ex-employer didn’t approve the bank—even though the Aadhaar verification was complete.
- Now, with this step removed, you control your PF bank update, not your employer.
✅ Just log into your UAN portal, enter your bank details, verify with Aadhaar OTP, and once the bank approves, the information will be updated in EPFO.
Statistics That Matter India currently has 7.74 crore active EPF contributors. Of these, 4.83 crore members have already seeded their bank accounts. Daily, over 36,000 bank seeding requests are initiated, underlining the importance of an efficient and reliable verification process.
Finright Can Help You Navigate These Changes If you’re unsure about your eligibility or need help with bank seeding and PF advance claims, tools like FixMyPF can be invaluable. For hands-on assistance, visit FinRight.in, where experts can guide you through every step of your PF journey.
These reforms reflect EPFO’s shift toward a member-first, digital-first approach.
To view the full update click https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2118168
Top 5 FAQs
1. Do I still need to upload a cheque leaf or passbook image?
No, this requirement has been fully removed for all members.
2. Will I need my employer’s approval to update my bank account?
No. EPFO has removed the employer approval step after bank and Aadhaar verification.
3. How do I update or change my bank account with UAN?
Login to the UAN portal, enter your new bank details and verify using Aadhaar OTP and Bank verification.
4. How quickly will my PF claim be settled now?
With these reforms, auto claims up to ₹5 lakh will be settled within 3 days. To learn more, read about the EPFO Auto-Settlement Limit. However, for full and final settlement, the turnaround time will still range from 3 to 22 working days, depending on the verification process.
5. Where can I get help for my PF withdrawal or seeding issues?
Visit FinRight.in or use the Fix My PF tool for expert help.
