News for 4.5 crore people, new guidelines for online change in PF account

Harleen Kaur Grewal

New Delhi, February 18, 2021: The Employees Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has made major leaps to avoid fraud by not allowing one to change major details regarding the name and profile of one’s PF account. Only after examining the document, such major changes can be made.

According to the EPFO, many a time, due to online correction or change in the profile of the PF account, mismatches occur in the record, in which there is a possibility of fraud. Not only this, but many fraud cases have risen in the name of KYC in the PF account, in which money was withdrawn incorrectly.

According to the new guidelines of EPFO, the details of a PF account can only be with uploading documents as proof and, then it will be examined, after which the change will be accepted. However, the account holders will still be able to make small changes in their names.

To put it clearly, the documents to support the major changes will have to be submitted, and then the documents will be examined, only after that, will there be some kind of change in the profile. The EPFO has asked the regional offices and member organizations not to improve the records of any employee without any documentary proof.

According to the guidelines of EPFO, if a name, the surname is edited without changing the first letter, it will be considered as a small change. If the middle name or surname is to be changed after marriage, then the change will be based on the name given in the Aadhaar card.

What are the major changes? Now a complete change in name will not be allowed. However, in special circumstances, this can be changed after giving full information from the employer and after submitting proof. Major changes in the name, date of birth, nominee, address, father’s or husband’s name in the PF account will be made only after looking at the documentary proof of the employer and shareholders. Major changes include changing the full name.

Not only this, the change of online and offline modes in KYC will be done only when the shareholder documents are uploaded. If an organization is closed, then the documents will be accompanied by a salary slip, appointment letter, and PF slip. The EPFO has instructed the regional offices that the proofs submitted should be preserved and made available at the time of the audit.

Starting from 2017, the facility for online change was provided by EPFO in 2017 to EPFO members to change their profile online. But now its rules have changed in view of the incidents of fraud. EPFO has more than 40 million active members in the country.