EPFO has strengthened its verification process for transferring Provident Fund (PF) money to bank accounts. Now, PF members will not be able to transfer their PF amount without Facial Authentication Technology (FAT).
Facial authentication is also mandatory to receive the ₹7,500 incentive given every six months under the Pradhan Mantri Vikas Bharat Rojgar Yojana. This step has been taken to ensure Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) benefits and to prevent cyber fraud.
All PF account holders must complete e-KYC for DBT, either online or manually.
Direct Transfer of ₹7,500 Incentive and Need for e-KYC
Officials from the EPFO regional office in Kanpur said that the ₹7,500 incentive under the Pradhan Mantri Vikas Bharat Rojgar Yojana will be sent directly to employees’ bank accounts.
Authentication is necessary to prevent fraud and maintain transparency. Therefore, all employees must complete e-KYC for their bank accounts. For this:
Aadhaar must be linked with the bank account.
The bank account must be DBT-enabled.
Employees can complete e-KYC by visiting their bank and filling out the form. They can also download the form from the NPCI website (www.npci.org.in) or use the Umang mobile app.
Steps to Enable DBT and Complete Facial Authentication
To enable DBT, beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Vikas Bharat Rojgar Yojana must go to the NPCI website and complete the process through the Customer, BASE, and Aadhaar Seeding and De-Seeding options.
PF account holders with a UAN number must open the Umang app, go to the UAN service section, and select the option for FAT of already activated UAN.
After that, they must complete the face scan using the Face Authentication option. If the Aadhaar Face RD app is not installed, it must be installed first.
Facial Verification is Mandatory for All PF Members
Facial verification is mandatory for all PF members to receive DBT benefits. To prevent misuse of EPFO facilities and unauthorized fund withdrawals, the authentication process has been made stronger.
PF members whose UAN has not been generated through Facial Authentication Technology must authenticate their UAN through the Umang app.
All employers and their employees have been instructed to complete this process as soon as possible.
Shahid Iqbal, Regional Provident Fund Commissioner of the Kanpur Region, said that EPFO members should receive their PF balance and incentive installments directly into their bank accounts without delay.
However, DBT will not be processed without authentication. This process is mandatory for all members, and e-KYC can be done both online and offline.
