As per the circular, “In partial modification of the Circular No. WSU/15(1)2019/ATR/529 dated 15.06.2021 under reference, it is informed that the date of completing the seeding and verification of Aadhaar with UAN, is hereby extended till 30.11.2021 and accordingly, the date in Para 1 of the referred Circular dated 15.06.2021 mentioned as 01.09.2021 may be read as 01.12.2021.”
In addition to the extension of the deadline of linking UAN with the Aadhaar number, EPFO has also appointed a grievance redressal officer to help employers mitigate any technical issue in the filing of Employee Cum Return (ECR) due to Aadhaar number seedings/not-seedings with UANs. The grievance redressal officer can be reached out at ecr.help@epfindia.gov.in.
It is important for Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) account holders to link their UAN with their Aadhaar number to ensure that their employer is able to deposit the EPF contributions to the account. From December 1, 2021, if the UAN is not linked with Aadhaar, then your employer will not be able to deposit monthly EPF contributions to your EPF account.
Further, withdrawals from EPF account will not be allowed till the time your UAN is verified and linked with Aadhaar.
How to check if your UAN is linked to Aadhaar
If you are not sure if your UAN is linked to Aadhaar, then follow the steps below to check:
Step 1: Visit the member sewa portal: https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/memberinterface/
Step 2: Login to your account by entering your UAN and password.
Step 3: Once logged in successfully, select ‘KYC’ option under the ‘Manage’ tab.
On the screen check under the verified documents tab, if your Aadhaar number is shown and approved, then it means that your UAN is linked with Aadhaar.
However, if the Aadhaar number is not shown under the verified documents tab, then you will be required to link your UAN with Aadhaar.
How to link your UAN with Aadhaar
There are four ways to link UAN with Aadhaar: (a) On the Member Sewa portal, (b) Using Umang App, (c) Using OTP verification on the e-KYC Portal of EPFO and (d) Using biometric credentials on the e-KYC portal of EPFO.
Here is the process of linking UAN with Aadhaar on the Member Sewa portal.
Step 1: Log in to the Member Sewa portal on https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/.
Step 2: Select the ‘KYC’ option under the ‘Manage’ tab.
Step 3: Select ‘Aadhaar’ option to add a KYC document.
Step 4: The screen will show your Name as per Aadhaar. You will be required to enter the Aadhaar number. If you do not want to share your Aadhaar number, then you can also enter Virtual ID number as well.
You will be required to provide the consent for Aadhaar based authentication for the purpose of linking UAN with Aadhaar.
Step 5: Click on the ‘Save’ button. Once it is saved, it will be shown under ‘pending KYC’. Your employer will be required to approve so that your UAN will be linked with Aadhaar. Once approved by your employer, it needs to be approved by the EPFO as well for the linking process to be completed.
In May 2021, the government made it mandatory for UAN to be linked with the Aadhaar number. This was done under section 142 of the Code on Social Security, 2020 through a gazette notification dated April 30, 2021. Employers will be able to file ECR and deposit monthly contributions only if employees have linked their UAN with Aadhaar number.
