The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has issued an urgent notice to its subscribers. It has clarified that the last date for employees to activate their Universal Account Number (UAN) is November 30. Employees can check if their UAN is active on the EPF portal.
If you are changing jobs, the EPFO has an important announcement. The EPFO has stated there is no need to apply for a new UAN when transitioning between jobs, as a member can only have one UAN.
They emphasized, “Employees do not need to create a new UAN when they leave their old job and join a new one. A member cannot have more than one UAN. No new UAN is required in cases of unemployment, job changes, etc.,” as shared in their tweet.
The UAN, or Universal Account Number, is a 12-digit identifier for an employee’s Employee Provident Fund (EPF) deposits. The UAN remains unchanged regardless of how many jobs an employee transitions to.
UAN Activation: Another critical point the EPFO promotes is UAN activation. The organization has stated that the last date for Aadhaar-based UAN activation is December 15.
“Activating your UAN is essential to enjoy EPFO services such as PF, pension, insurance, and especially employment-linked incentives,” the EPFO tweeted.
How to Activate UAN
To activate your UAN using Aadhaar, follow these steps:
- Visit the EPFO portal.
- Click on ‘Activate UAN’ under Important Links.
- Enter your UAN, Aadhaar number, name, and date of birth.
- Provide the mobile number linked to your Aadhaar. Make sure your mobile number is linked to your Aadhaar beforehand.
- Agree to Aadhaar OTP verification.
- Obtain the authorization PIN to receive the OTP on your Aadhaar-linked mobile.
- Enter the OTP to complete the activation.
For Newly Joined Employees: All employees who joined within the current financial year must complete the UAN activation process using Aadhaar-based OTP through their respective employers by November 30, 2024.
After this date, all employees must complete the activation process. Through UAN activation, employees can access EPFO’s comprehensive online services without interruption.
This allows them to manage their Provident Fund (PF) efficiently accounts, view and download PF passbooks, submit online claims for withdrawals, advances, or transfers, update personal details, and track claims in real time.
What is the ELI scheme?
The central government has proposed the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme in the 2024 Union Budget. According to the government, this scheme will facilitate direct cash transfers to the bank accounts linked to employees’ Aadhaar numbers.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman mentioned in her budget speech that the scheme will include three types: A, B, and C.
Scheme A will apply to employees joining the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) for the first time. Scheme B promotes job creation, while Scheme C is designed to support employees.
Details of the three schemes:
Scheme A: Under this scheme, the central government will provide one month’s salary to employees across all sectors who join for the first time.
This payment will be made in three installments and sent directly to their bank accounts. Employees with a salary of up to one lakh rupees who join the EPFO will be eligible for this benefit.
Scheme B: The government will implement measures to create additional jobs in the manufacturing sector. For the first four years, benefits will be extended to both employees and companies.
Scheme C: This scheme primarily targets companies. The government will support job creation across all sectors by covering the Provident Fund (PF) contributions for each employee for two years, capped at Rs 3,000 per month. Employees earning up to Rs 1 lakh monthly will qualify for this support.