EPFO member alert! Have old, inoperative EPF account? E-PRAAPTI portal will soon help you track it easily

Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is preparing to introduce E-PRAAPTI, a dedicated digital portal to assist members in identifying, tracking, linking and activating old or inactive EPF accounts, Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced on Wednesday, reports Times of India (ToI) .

“The E-PRAAPTI portal (EPF Aadhaar-based Access Portal for Tracking Inoperative Accounts) will provide a streamlined Aadhaar-based authentication mechanism that will enable members to securely access their old EPF account which may not have an UAN linked with it and initiate the process for updating their member profile, followed by seamless UAN linking and activation,” Mandaviya said.

In the first phase, the portal will be useful for employees who can recall their member IDs, ensuring a secure and fast rollout and providing immediate benefits to a wide segment of members who have their member IDs, as per the ToI report.

Who can avail benefits of EPFO’s E-PRAAPTI portal?

The facility will benefit a huge number of persons who began working before the UAN era and are unable to present a complete chain of employment history when filing claims with the retirement fund body since they might have worked for many employers during that time.

What is UAN?

A UAN (Universal Account Number) is a 12-digit unique ID allotted by EPFO to its members.
The Universal Account Number is allotted to an EPFO member by linking the number to the member’s currently active PF account number from July 31, 2014, to November 30, 2016. From December 2016, any new member has to be allotted a UAN linked to the establishment’s code number.

To whom is a UAN allotted?

A UAN is allotted to all the contributory members of EPFO and disseminated through their employers.

What is an inoperative EPF account?

An EPF account is classified as an inoperative account in which contribution has not been received for 3 years after retirement or permanent migration abroad or in case of the death of an EPFO member. At present, all accounts will earn interest up to 58 years of the age of a member.

Does an inoperative EPF account earn interest?

No. However, at present, all accounts will earn interest up to 58 years of the age of a member.

What to do if your EPF account becomes inoperative?

If you are still working in an establishment covered under the EPF & MP Act, 1952, you should get the amount transferred into your new EPF account either by online or offline mode. If you have retired, you may withdraw the EPF corpus amount.