NEW DELHI: The Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) will soon approve ‘EPF Suvidha Providers’ or authorized intermediaries to help members access benefits and resolve all kinds of issues related to their PF accounts.“The issue will be discussed in the upcoming Central Board of Trustees meeting in February. These moderators will be authorized and regulated by EPFO. They will improve access, especially for first-time visitors and those unfamiliar with digital systems. This will eliminate the need to visit PF offices. A pilot project is currently underway in Delhi,” an official told TOI.The initiative is part of the digital overhaul being undertaken by EPFO and aims to create a single-window system to resolve all PF-related issues. “Suvidha providers will be offered incentives based on the number of members supported,” the official added.During the CBT meeting in October, the Social Security Organization had consolidated 13 complex withdrawal provisions into a single rule that allows members to withdraw up to 75% of their eligible PF balance for specific needs. The instant advance withdrawal feature via the BHIM app is also expected to go live in the coming days.Additionally, EPFO last week launched a free doorstep service for EPS pensioners, enabling them to submit their digital life certificate without visiting a bank or EPFO office, as the company has collaborated with India Post Payments Bank to send postal workers to pensioners’ homes to verify their identity using Aadhaar-based biometric or facial authentication and generate the digital life certificate on the spot.
