The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has extended the deadline to January 15, 2025, for activating the Universal Account Number (UAN) and linking it with a bank account and Aadhaar to avail of benefits under the EPFO’s Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme.

Originally, the last date was set for November 30, 2024, but it was first extended to December 15, 2024, before the latest revision.

This mandatory process, managed by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), is crucial for accessing the benefits of the ELI Scheme. Announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Union Budget 2024 in July, the ELI Scheme includes three variants: A, B, and C.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget 2024 speech had said, “Scheme A will focus on first-timers joining the Employment and Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) scheme as well, Scheme B focuses on job-creation in manufacturing and Scheme C will focus on the support to the employers.”

“Please see the circulars cited. In this connection, the competent authority has granted an extension of timeline from 15.12.2024 to 15.01.2025 for UAN activation and Aadhaar seeding in bank account of all the employees,” said EPFO in a circular dated December 20, 2024.

Also Read: EPFO Pension: How much pension will you get under EPS with just 10 years of service?

How to activate EPF UAN through Aadhaar-based OTP

Steps to activate your UAN and avail ELI scheme benefits:

-Visit the EPFO Member Portal: Open the EPFO Member Portal on your browser.

-Click “Activate UAN”: Find this option under the “Important Links” section.

-Provide Required Details: Enter your UAN, Aadhaar number, name, date of birth (DOB), and Aadhaar-linked mobile number.

-Ensure Aadhaar-Linking: Verify that your mobile number is linked to Aadhaar for seamless access to EPFO’s digital services.

-Agree to OTP Verification: Confirm your consent for Aadhaar OTP verification.

-Receive an Authorization PIN: Click “Get Authorization PIN” to receive an OTP on your Aadhaar-linked mobile number.

-Enter OTP: Input the OTP to complete the UAN activation process.

-A password will be sent to your registered mobile number upon successful activation.

What are the features of ELI scheme as per budget documents?

ELI is a scheme announced in the Union Budget 2024 in July, and there are three variants of the scheme. The three varinatsvariants to be implemented are as below:

Scheme A: First-time employees

This scheme will provide a one-month wage to all persons newly entering the workforce in all formal sectors. The direct benefit transfer of one-month salary in 3 installments to first-time employees, as registered in the EPFO, will be up to Rs 15,000. The eligibility limit will be a salary of Rs 1 lakh per month.

Scheme B: Job creation in manufacturing

This scheme will incentivise additional employment in the manufacturing sector, linked to the employment of first-time employees. An incentive will be provided at a specified scale directly both to the employee and the employer for their EPFO contribution in the first 4 years of employment.

Scheme C: Support to employers

This employer-focused scheme will cover additional employment in all sectors. All additional employment with a salary of Rs 1 lakh per month will be considered under this scheme. The government will reimburse employers up to Rs 3,000 per month for 2 years towards their EPFO contribution for each additional employee.