EPFO to soon let facilitators help resolve issues

NEW DELHI: The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is soon going to allow ‘EPF Suvidha Providers’ or authorised facilitators who will assist members in accessing benefits and resolving all kinds of issues related to their PF accounts.“The issue will be deliberated in the upcoming meeting of the central board of trustees in Feb. These facilitators will be authorised and regulated by EPFO. They will enhance access, especially for first timers and those unfamiliar with digital systems. This will do away with the need to visit PF offices. A pilot is currently underway in Delhi,” an official told TOI.The initiative is part of the digital overhaul that EPFO is undertaking and is aimed at creating a single-window system for resolving any PF-related issue. “Suvidha Providers will be offered incentives based on the number of members being assisted,” the official added.During the CBT meeting in Oct, the social security organisation had streamlined 13 complex withdrawal provisions into a single rule, allowing members to withdraw up to 75% of their eligible PF balance for specified needs. It is also set to operationalise the instantaneous advance withdrawal facility via the BHIM app in the coming days.Besides, last week, EPFO launched a free doorstep service for EPS pensioners, allowing them to submit their Digital Life Certificate without visiting a bank or EPFO offices as it partnered with India Post Payments Bank to send postal workers to pensioners’ homes to verify their identities using Aadhaar-based biometric or face authentication and generate the Digital Life Certificate on the spot.