No Need to Upload Cheque and Bank Passbook For online EPF Claim Settlements:

No Need to Upload Cheque and Bank Passbook for Online EPF Claim Settlements The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has announced an update to its claim settlement process. According to the announcement from EPFO, members are no longer required to upload a cheque or bank passbook copy for online EPF claims. The EPFO aims to make the process quicker and more convenient for EPF members across the country by removing the need to submit these documents. Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India. It handles and regulates the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF), which is a retirement savings scheme for salaried employees. In a post shared by EPFO, they wrote, "No need to upload a cheque or bank passbook copy for online EPF claim settlements, making the process smoother and more convenient for members". Earlier, every EPF member was required to link their bank account with a UAN (Universal Account Number) for PF withdrawal. In FY 2024–25, over 1.3 crore requests were filed for bank seeding, which involves bank verification and employer approval via DSC or e-sign. While bank verification takes around 3 days, employer approval takes around 13 days. This used to cause delays and backlogs. Additionally, even after seeding, members had to upload a cheque or passbook during online claims, adding to the burden. EPFO’s latest update removes this step, making the process faster and more convenient for members. Around six crore members will benefit from the removal of this need. It will also reduce claim denials due to low-quality or unreadable uploads.