EPFO discontinues UAN activation on portal: What PF subscribers should know

The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has restored its Unified Member Portal after a nearly week-long scheduled upgrade, introducing a redesigned interface and several changes to member services.

Among the biggest changes is the discontinuation of UAN activation through the EPFO portal. Members can also no longer generate a new Universal Account Number (UAN) directly from the website. Both services have now been shifted to the government's UMANG app and require Aadhaar-based Face Authentication (FAT).

The overhaul follows a major database consolidation and software upgrade that, according to EPFO, is aimed at making its online services faster, more secure and more reliable.

What has changed on the EPFO portal?

Following the upgrade, EPFO has introduced several changes to how subscribers access its online services.

The key changes include:

• UAN activation through the EPFO portal has been discontinued.
• Direct UAN allotment is no longer available on the portal.
• Both services have moved to the UMANG app.
• Aadhaar-based Face Authentication is now mandatory for UAN activation and allotment.
• The process for retrieving a forgotten UAN has been simplified.

How can subscribers activate their UAN now?

Subscribers can no longer activate their Universal Account Number through the EPFO Unified Member Portal.

Instead, UAN activation must now be completed through the UMANG app using Aadhaar-based Face Authentication.

How to activate UAN through the UMANG app

Step 1: Download the UMANG app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

Step 2: Open EPFO Services.

Step 3: Select "UAN Activation" under "UAN Services Through Face Auth."

Step 4: Complete Aadhaar Face Authentication and follow the on-screen instructions.

Direct UAN generation also moves to UMANG

EPFO has also removed the facility to generate a new UAN through its website.

Employees who need a new UAN must now use the UMANG app.

The UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) app is the Government of India's digital services platform that allows users to access services offered by various departments, including EPFO.

How to generate a new UAN

• Open the UMANG app.
• Select EPFO Services.
• Click "UAN Allotment and Activation."
• Complete Aadhaar-based Face Authentication.
• Follow the instructions to generate the UAN.

Already have a PF account but no UAN?

Employees who already have an EPF account but have not yet been allotted a UAN can still obtain one.

They need to verify their registered mobile number, provide the required member details and complete the verification process. Once verified, a UAN will be generated and linked to their existing EPF account.

If anyone has forgotten their UAN, the upgraded portal now offers a simpler UAN retrieval process.

Subscribers need to:

• Enter their registered mobile number.
• Upload the required identity or address proof.
• Verify the OTP sent to the registered mobile number.

Once the verification is complete, the UAN can be retrieved.

Death claim filing remains available on the EPFO portal

While UAN-related services have shifted to UMANG, the EPFO has retained the online facility for filing death claims on its Unified Member Portal.

Beneficiaries should ensure they have:

• Aadhaar-linked mobile number
• Bank account details
• Death certificate of the member
• Cancelled cheque or bank passbook
• Date of birth proof, where applicable

EPFO has clarified that documents must be uploaded in PDF format, each file should be under 2 MB and file names must not contain spaces.

Why did EPFO make these changes?

According to EPFO, the portal upgrade is part of a major database consolidation and software modernisation exercise aimed at improving service delivery.

The organisation has also informed members that claims and online requests may take slightly longer than usual during the initial two-week stabilisation period as additional verification and validation checks are being carried out.

Members have been advised to avoid repeated submissions and multiple login attempts during peak hours.