The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has made it mandatory for the subscribers to link their Provident Fund (accounts) with their Aadhaar before September 1. The government has made it compulsory for EPFO employees to link Aadhaar with PF Universal Account Number (UAN) to continue availing the facilities and have access to the EPF. Employers will be able to file Employee-cum-Return (ECR) challans and deposit the fund to the EPF account if PF and Aadhaar are linked. A PF account holder can link Aadhaar and UAN with the help of EPFO's Member Sewa Portal, OTP verification and biometric credentials.
Step-by-step guide to link PF with Aadhaar using EPFO's Member Sewa Portal:
Step 1: Go to the Member's official website and log in using your credentials.
Step 2: After you log in, go to the 'Manage' menu and select the 'KYC' option. Now, from the drop-down menu, select 'Aadhaar' and add your KYC documents.
Step 3: You will have to choose either your Aadhaar card number or Virtual ID (VID) to go ahead with the process. You will be required to give consent to an Aadhaar-based authentication after you enter the desired number.
Step 4: Click on the 'Save' option and then it will be marked as 'pending KYC'. Your employer has to grant permission for the UAN to be linked to Aadhaar and the entire process will be completed.
Here's how you can link Aadhaar and UAN via OTP verification: Subscribers have the option to link Aadhaar and PF UAN via One Time Password(OTP) on the e-KYC portal. Follow these steps:
Step 1: Go to the website and click on the 'Link UAN Aadhaar' option. You will find this option under 'For EPFO members' category.
Step 2: You will be asked to fill in the UAN and then you will receive an OTP to your registered number.
Step 3: Once the OTP is verified, enter your Aadhaar details and then select the Aadhaar verification mode. It can be either an email or a mobile-based OTP.
Step 4: You will receive an OTP on your Aadhaar registered mobile number or email. You will have to verify this and the linking process will be completed.
Here's how you can link UAN and Aadhaar via Biometric credentials:
In order to link PF UAN and Aadhaar, you will have to keep a registered biometric device ready for ID verification.
Step 1: Go to the official website and, under the 'Link UAN Aadhaar' option, fill in your UAN number. You can find the 'Link UAN Aadhaar' option under the 'For EPFO members' section.
Step 2: You will get an OTP on your UAN linked mobile number after you fill in all your details.
Step 3: Verify all the details using the OTP and your Aadhaar number.
Step 4: You can use a biometric measuring device to verify the process and following this, your Aadhaar and UAN will be successfully linked.
What happens if you fail to link PF and Aadhaar?
If an employer fails to link PF UAN and Aadhaar before the due date, then they won't be in a position to make monthly contributions to the EPF account. Moreover, employees will not be able to withdraw the funds from their PF accounts if they do not follow the rules. According to the EPFO notification, it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that their employees are linked to PF UAN and their Aadhaar numbers. As per Section 142 of the Code on Social Security, 2020, which came into effect in May this year, the government has declared that PF and Aadhaar must be linked.