EPFO exempts certain employee categories from Aadhaar linking requirement; check all key details

The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) recently announced that some employee categories are not required to seed (link) Aadhaar with their Universal Account Number (UAN) to settle physical claims, as per an official circular issued on Friday, November 29.

EPFO subscribers need to seed their Aadhaar with their UAN in order to settle claims, but some exemptions have been provided by the organisation:

1. International workers who have left India without obtaining an Aadhaar. The substitute ID in this case would be a passport.

2. Indian workers who now permanently live in a foreign country with citizenship, and don’t have Aadhaar. In this case, as well, the substitute ID would be their passports.

3. Citizens of Nepal and subjects of Bhutan who work for establishments covered under the EPF&MP Act but don’t live in India and don’t possess Aadhaar. The substitute ID in this case would be a citizenship identification certificate or document.

Due diligence

In these cases, individuals will be required to submit physical copies of their substitute IDs like passports or citizenship certificates along with other relevant documents, including bank details, to file the physical claim. For risk mitigation purposes, the organisation will require verification of bank accounts in all cases and confirmation of ID by the employer in case the balance is over ₹5 lakh. The approval after verification in these cases may be obtained from the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) in an e-office file to be maintained for this purpose, the circular read. The mode of credit for settlements will be National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT).