The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has announced an extension of the deadline for Universal Account Number (UAN) activation and Aadhaar-bank account linking to 15 March 2025. This extension is crucial for employees looking to avail benefits under the Employment-Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme.

 

According to a circular issued by the Ministry of Labour & Employment on 21 February 2025, "the competent authority has granted an extension of the timeline for UAN activation and AADHAAR seeding in bank account till 15th March, 2025." This marks another extension in a series of deadline postponements, with the previous cutoff date being 15 February 2025.

 

The ELI scheme, introduced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Union Budget 2024, comes in three variants. As outlined in her budget speech, "Scheme A will focus on first-timers joining the employment and Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) scheme; Scheme B will focus on job-creation in manufacturing; and Scheme C will focus on support for employers."

 

The Universal Account Number is a 12-digit identifier assigned by EPFO to eligible salaried employees. It functions as a unified access point for managing PF accounts across different employers throughout an individual's career, allowing employees to track and access their provident fund balances under a single identifier.

 

EPFO emphasized the importance of timely compliance through its social media channels, stating: "It is mandatory to seed your Aadhaar with your bank account to avail the benefits of the Employment-Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme, an employment-centric scheme focusing on job creation in the country. Do it timely to avoid the last-minute hassle!"

 

For employees yet to activate their UAN, the process can be completed using an Aadhaar-based OTP verification. According to a PIB release dated November 21, 2024, the activation process involves visiting the EPFO Member Portal, clicking on "Activate UAN" under Important Links, entering the required personal details including UAN, Aadhaar number, name, date of birth, and Aadhaar-linked mobile number. After agreeing to Aadhaar OTP verification and receiving the authorization PIN, employees can enter the OTP to complete the activation process.

 

Once activated, the UAN provides access to a comprehensive range of EPFO's online services, including PF account management, passbook viewing and downloading, online claim submissions for advances, withdrawals or transfers, personal information updates, and real-time claim monitoring.