The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has introduced 11 changes to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) related to updating members’ profiles in the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) accounts. EPFO’s August 23, 2023, circular pertains to details in the Universal Account Number (UAN), such as name, gender, date of birth, father’s name, relationship, marital status, joining date, the reason for leaving, date of leaving, nationality, and Aadhaar number. 

EPFO has also restricted the number of times these changes can be done. The SOP update aims to make the system robust with correct details in the records to reduce rejection for personal details mismatches and minimise fraud due to identity change.  

It was noticed that there had been a mismatch in members’ details in the database due to incomplete information or the updation process taking a long time. While the UAN’s launch in 2014 has helped reduce these issues to an extent, the SOP is expected to make it more robust.

Currently, members make changes and file a joint declaration to the employer, which approves it. The declaration is then sent to the EPFO’s regional office to approve or reject it within a timeframe. The EPFO has also prescribed the list of documents required for such requests.

The circular says, “The online tracking of JD (joint declaration) is also proposed so that the member can know the status of his application easily.”

Types of Changes In The SOP:

The changes are related to 11 personal details, which can be categorised into major and minor changes, and based on that, the required documents will differ, as per the circular.

Minor Changes: According to the circular, the minor updation request in the EPF member details will be made within T+7 days. It will be considered from the day the JD request is received at the field officer (FO) online interface login of the dealing assistant (DA).

Major Changes: For any major changes in the member’s details, the time limit is T+15 days from the date of receipt to the FO interface login of the DA.

If the JD is returned for any reason to the employer, the time limit will be considered again from the day the request is received in the interface login of the concerned official. 

The corrections or the updation in details is also limited to specific numbers. According to the circular, in a typical case, the member can make changes in five out of 11 parameters in a single or multiple requests. However, if changes are to be made in more than five parameters, which can entirely change the member’s identity, the approved authority will examine the JD request and “only after duly recording the reasons in the file such cases should be processed”.

The Number Of Times Corrections Are Allowed: 

How To Apply For The Change/Update In The Account?

As per the circular, the member must log in to the member interface of the unified portal

https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/memberinterface/ and update their details and upload the required documents. Once the member submits the request, it will appear in the employer’s login. The employer will also get an email regarding this.

The employer will check the information and the documents uploaded by the member, and if everything is proper, it will upload any other required document and submit the request.

Then, the request will reach the specified competent authority’s login in EPFO (the verifier). There will be three levels of verification: initiator, verifier, and approver. The request can be returned at any stage for correction, and when everything is properly checked and found to be in place, and the verifier is satisfied, the request will be approved.

Members can make changes only in accounts generated by the current employer. Also, the employers will not have the right to modify details of the members’ previous organisations.

If The Member Has No Aadhaar And Dies:

According to the circular, if the member dies without an Aadhaar, the “nominee’s Aadhaar will be saved in the system”, and the nominee can sign the JD form, while the rest of the updation process will remain the same. In case of no nomination, a legal heir or a family member will be allowed to do so.

Documents Required: 

The circular mentions the list of documents for each parameter that must be uploaded. For example, to request a change in name and gender, the person will need the following: an Aadhaar, passport, birth certificate, death certificate, PAN card, ration card, voter ID, pensioner photo card, etc. If it is a minor change, the two documents from the list will be required, and Aadhaar is mandatory for name and gender updates. For a major change, three documents will be required from the list as prescribed for each parameter.