Today’s digital age has made our life much easier than ever. Now there is no need to visit government offices or stand in long lines. Like many government departments, the Employees Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has also made almost all its functioning online. Whether it is to file a claim, update KYC or file a complaint – now everything can be done from home, mobile or computer.
But despite this, many people are still getting their work done by getting caught in the pretense of agents and brokers, due to which they not only have to spend money but also have to put their personal information at risk. Keeping this problem in mind, EPFO has issued an important warning for its crores of members.
EPFO’s free digital services
EPFO has clarified that all its digital services are completely free. If the members want, all services like claim filing, money withdrawn, updating KYC, filing complaints can be done without any fee through the EPFO portal or UMANG app. For this, no third party agent is needed, nor cyber cafes.
How is the harm from brokers?
Many private agents or fintech companies are selling free services of EPFO to people. They charge a hefty amount from people to fill the form or put online claim. Also, they take information related to Aadhaar number, bank details and EPFO account from users, which can become a big cyber fraud by falling in the wrong hands. Therefore, EPFO has reiterated that no agent is authorized, and do not give their information to such a person.
Big change in EPFO’s services
EPFO has made its services faster, transparent and user-friendly over the last few years. Especially under auto settlement facility, now advance claims of up to ₹ 1 lakh such as marriage, illness, education or home, are automatically approved and gathered directly into the account. In the financial year 2024-25, 2.34 crore auto claim settlements have been made so far, which has provided relief without any hassle.
Complaint is also easy to file
If you have any problem related to EPFO, now there is no need to go to EPFO office to solve it. You can file your complaint directly on EPFIGMS (EPFO Grievance Management System) or CPGRAMS (Centralized Public Grievance Redressal and Monitoring System).
According to government data, in FY 2024-25, more than 16 lakh complaints were filed on EPFIGMS and 1.74 lakh complaints on CPGRAMS, out of which 98% of the complaints were resolved in the scheduled time.
Which facilities do not have any agent?
The major services that EPFO have made completely digital and free include:
PF claim filing (for withdrawal or advance amount)
KYC update (Aadhaar, PAN, Bank Account etc.)
Profile improvement (name, date of birth, address etc.)
Auto Claim Settlement (up to ₹ 1 lakh)
Complaint registration and solution
EPFO’s portal or UMANG app is sufficient for all these services. You neither need to pay money to an agent nor to put a line in a cafe.
conclusion
This warning issued by EPFO is very important. If you are also taking help of an agent for the work related to PF, then be careful. One of your negligence can not only do financial loss, but your confidential information can also be leaked. Therefore, it would be better to use EPFO’s official website or UMANG mobile app and deal with all your work for free and free.
