EPFO has announced major reforms to enhance services for over 7 crore active members in the organised private sector. The 2025 updates feature simplified profile modifications, smoother provident fund transfers, and a unified pension payment system.
If you face difficulties while accessing the EPF passbook website, don’t let it bother you. Many alternatives provided by EPFO let you check your PF balance using SMS and missed call services. Using these options, you can view your information on your account without any problems. The EPF Passbook may not be accessible to users due to overuse, routine maintenance, login problems or not providing enough KYC information.
The EPF Passbook portal offers a user-friendly way to track the PF balace and transactions, but users may occasionally face access issues due to high traffic, maintenance, login problems, or incomplete KYC details.
For those without internet access, the EPFO provides two easy alternatives to check PF balance:
- SMS Service: Make sure your UAN is active and linked with Aadhaar, PAN, and bank account. Then, send an SMS from your registered mobile number to 7738299899 in this format: EPFOHO UAN ENG (replace ‘ENG’ with your preferred language code, such as HIN for Hindi or TAM for Tamil). This service is available in 10 languages, including English, Hindi, Tamil, and Bengali.
- Missed Call Service: If your UAN is active and KYC details are up to date, you can simply give a missed call to 011-22901406 from your registered mobile number. After a couple of rings, the call will disconnect automatically, and you’ll receive an SMS with your current PF balance.
To benefit its 7 crore active members in the private sector, the EPFO has introduced several changes in its services. As part of the reforms for 2025, users will find it easier to modify their profile, transfer their PF and receive their pension all through a single system. Those whose UAN and Aadhaar are linked can update their name, date of birth and nationality online using their UAN. Because of this, members no longer need to wait long, as it streamlines the process and lessens the staff’s work. If the UAN for a member was generated before October 2017, some updates might still need to be approved by their employer.
It is now simpler to transfer from one Provident Fund (PF) account to another when changing jobs. Starting January 15, 2025, most individuals don’t have to get the employer’s consent to transfer their PF money to a fresh account. The change eases an old problem faced by employees and is part of a plan to streamline EPFO’s operations. Another important change is the adoption of the Centralised Pension Payment System (CPPS). As of January 1, 2025, contributions from the CPPS are sent straight to a person’s bank account through the NPCI payment network. Until then, the process of sending PPOs between different office locations took time and caused delays. As a result, there are no more delays and all payments are made promptly. In addition, the new PPOs are connecting with UANs, so pensions can be sent in an easier manner with the Digital Life Certificate.
EPFO has made the process easier for anyone seeking a pension based on a higher salary by standardizing the method used. Anyone earning more than the specified limit can join the pension scheme by paying more. Thanks to this reform, everyone involved in pensions is given clearer and better details about their rights to pensions. It requires private organizations that do not fall under EPFO’s control to follow the same approach which standardizes pension administration on all platforms.
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