The last date to activate the Universal Account Number (UAN) and link it with Aadhaar for receiving benefits under the Employment Linked Incentives (ELI) scheme is now December 15, 2024. Earlier the deadline was November 30, 2024.
According to a circular issued by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on November 22, 2024, “Every Subscriber of EPFO is required to have an Aaddhar linked UAN, which needs to be activated by creating a login on the Member Portal, for availing a number of facilities through a single window. Such facilities include the ability to view and download PF passbooks; submit online claims for withdrawals, advances, or transfers; update personal details and track the status of claims in real-time.”
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In addition, beneficiaries' bank accounts must also be linked with Aadhaar to enable the direct credit of benefits.
Notably, to receive benefits under the ELI scheme, an Aadhaar-linked bank account and an active UAN are mandatory for the direct transfer of benefits under the scheme. This is why companies are sending emails to their employees, urging them to activate their UAN and link Aadhaar before the deadline.
What Is The ELI Scheme?
The government announced the ELI scheme in the Union Budget 2024-25 in July this year as a part of the larger package of five schemes facilitating employment and skilling opportunities for the youth in the country. ELI 's objective is to create more than two crore jobs over two years and improve employment among youth.
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However, as per a circular dated December 4, 2024, EPFO extended the deadline to December 15, 2024. It read, “In partial modification of the circular dated 22.11.2024 under reference, the competent authority has granted an extension of timeline from 30th Nov 2024 to 15th Dec 2024 for UAN Activation and Aadhaar seeding in Bank Account of all the Employees.”
Why Are UAN Activation And Aadhaar Seeding Important?
UAN is the unique number for the EPF subscribers. By activating this number, a subscriber can easily access EPFO’s services online, view and download the EPF passbook, update personal details, make online claims for withdrawal, and track the claims as well.
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How To Activate UAN and Seed Aadhaar:
Here is the process of activating UAN and seeding with Aadhaar
Visit the official portal for EPFO members.
Under the ‘Important Links’, find the ‘Activate UAN’ link and click on it.
Write personal information like UAN, Aadhaar number, name, date of birth, mobile number, and CAPTCHA code. Make sure the mobile number is Aadhaar linked to the received OTP for verification purposes.
Click ‘Get Authorisation PIN’ to receive OTP, enter this OTP in the given box, and click the ‘Validate OTP and Activate UAN’ button to complete the UAN activation process.
A password is sent to the registered mobile number when UAN is activated. Once it is done, subscribers can use this password to access their UAN account. It can further be linked with biometric authentication.
When Aadhaar is seeded in the UAN account, and UAN becomes active, ELI benefits can directly be transferred to the beneficiary.
