The Employees Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has announced that specific categories of employees will not need to link their Aadhaar to settle their physical claims.
While EPFO subscribers are generally required to link their Universal Account Number (UAN) with Aadhaar for claim settlement, recent policy changes allow some exceptions.
The EPFO has clarified the specific categories of employees who are exempt from this requirement:
International workers who have completed their work assignments in India and have left the country without obtaining an Aadhaar.
Indians who have migrated abroad without acquiring Aadhaar and have taken citizenship in another country.
Nepalese and Bhutanese nationals are employees of companies listed as “employees” under the EPF & MP Act but do not reside in India and, therefore, do not have Aadhaar.
In cases where Aadhaar is unavailable, alternative documents such as passports or citizenship identity certificates/documents for those from Bhutan and Nepal should be used to verify the nationalities of international workers.
What does the EPFO circular specify? The EPFO has indicated in its circular that individuals seeking exemption should be given careful attention.
Their details must be recorded for verification purposes. Approval from the Office Charge (OIC) may be required to process these cases. An e-office file should be maintained for documentation.
In all such instances, authorities may closely scrutinize bank accounts and request verification from the employer if the account balance exceeds ₹5 lakhs.