Removal of Cheque Leaf / Attested Bank Passbook Upload Requirement
What’s Changed:
- EPFO has permanently removed the need to upload a scanned image of a cheque leaf or attested bank passbook for filing online claims.
Background & Pilot Success:
- The change was piloted from May 28, 2024, for KYC-updated members. Over 1.7 crore EPF members benefited during the pilot phase.
Why It Matters:
- As the bank account is already verified during UAN-linked bank account seeding, additional documents became redundant.
- Ensures faster processing and fewer claim rejections due to unreadable uploads. Will immediately benefit around 6 crore EPF members.
Elimination of Employer Approval for Bank Account Seeding with UAN
What’s Changed:
- Employer approval is no longer required for seeding or updating bank account details with the Universal Account Number (UAN).
Current Process & Bottlenecks:
- Bank verification takes ~3 days, but employer approval takes ~13 days, delaying the overall process.
- Over 14.95 lakh bank account seeding requests were pending at the employer level.
Impact of the Reform:
- Immediate benefit to 14.95 lakh members awaiting employer approval. Simplifies seeding and updating bank details—now directly authenticated via Aadhaar OTP.
- Improves Ease of Doing Business for employers and Ease of Living for employees.
Benefits of the New EPFO Process Simplification
- Faster Claims Processing: No document upload, no employer delays
- Reduced Grievances: Fewer rejections due to poor document quality
- Efficient Workload Management: Employers relieved from redundant approval steps
- Member Empowerment: Easy bank account update via Aadhaar OTP authentication
- Digital Transformation: Aligned with EPFO’s vision for a simplified, tech-driven service ecosystem
