EPFO to Launch Aadhaar-Based Portal for Tracking Inoperative PF Accounts

EPFO Launches Digital Platform to Streamline PF Account Tracking and Activation

The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) will launch a dedicated digital platform to help users identify, track, and activate old PF accounts that are not linked to a UAN, labour and employment minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced on April 29. The EPF Aadhaar-Based Access Portal for Tracking Inoperative Accounts (E-PRAAPTI) portal aims to streamline Aadhaar-based access, enable profile updates, and facilitate seamless UAN linking for dormant accounts.

The portal will provide a streamlined Aadhaar-based authentication mechanism that will enable members to securely access their old EPF account, which may not have a UAN linked with it, and initiate the process for updating their member profile, followed by seamless UAN linking and activation. By enabling users to securely access such accounts, update their details, and complete UAN linking, the EPFO is attempting to reduce the growing pool of inoperative accounts and bring idle savings back into active retirement planning.

The EPF Organisation is targeting a long-standing gap dating back to the pre-2014 era when multiple job switches often left behind untracked provident fund balances. Inoperative EPF accounts are those that have not had any contributions for an extended period and are no longer actively used. An EPF account becomes inactive when a member leaves a job and stops contributing or does not transfer the balance to a new employer's EPF account. The individual does not withdraw the money after leaving employment, and the account stays inactive for an extended period, often after retirement age or due to prolonged non-use.

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The E-PRAAPTI portal will work in the initial phase as a member ID-based platform, ensuring a secure and efficient rollout while delivering immediate benefits to a large segment of members who possess their member IDs. Going forward, it is contemplated that the scope of E-PRAAPTI be expanded to include members who may not be able to recall or access their old member IDs.

The platform is expected to reduce manual intervention, minimize documentation, and enhance transparency and efficiency. In the future, the EPFO plans to expand the portal's capabilities to make it more accessible to a wider range of users.