EPFO Launches Face-ID for PF: Self-UAN Generation Made Easy
The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has introduced digital reforms to make Provident Fund (PF) services faster, simpler, and more member-friendly. One of the most important changes is the self-generation of Universal Account Number (UAN) using Face Authentication Technology (FAT).
What Is Face-ID for PF?
Earlier, generating a UAN depended on employers, and members had to activate the UAN separately. This often caused delays, errors, and confusion.
To fix this, EPFO introduced self-UAN generation with Face Authentication Technology (FAT) on April 8, 2025.
Now, members can generate and activate their UAN themselves by verifying their identity using face recognition, making the process quicker, secure, and independent of employer intervention.
Why Was This Reform Needed?
Before FAT, EPFO members faced several issues:
- UAN generation required employer action, followed by a separate member activation step.
- Incorrect Member IDs were often linked to UANs, making PF access difficult.
- Personal details like name, date of birth, or gender were hard to correct.
- These issues caused delays in PF claims, transfers, and withdrawals.
Impact of Face-ID and Reforms
The introduction of Face-ID has already made a huge difference:
- Nearly 50 lakh new UANs were generated using FAT by the end of 2025.
- 2.59 lakh Member IDs were de-linked successfully by members themselves.
- Over 32 lakh profile corrections were completed by December 2025.
Other EPFO Reforms
EPFO has introduced several other member-friendly changes:
- Simplified PF withdrawals: Members can now withdraw up to 75% of their PF balance under liberalized rules.
- Auto-processing of advance claims for illness, housing, marriage, and education, with a limit up to Rs 5 lakh.
- Nearly 50% of PF claims are now settled automatically without human intervention.
- PF transfers during job changes are now automatic from Jan 2025.
- Bank account verification no longer needs employer approval.
- No need to submit scanned cheque leaves for online claims.
- Passbook Lite is available on the member portal for easy PF balance checks.
- Centralised Pension Payment System allows pension to be credited to any bank in India.
- Interest for 2024-25 was credited to almost all accounts by July 2025.
- Bulk UAN generation has linked PF accounts for previously exempted establishments.
- Pensioners can submit Digital Life Certificates from home with doorstep support from India Post Payments Bank.
- PF transfer details are now online, making tracking easy.
Conclusion:
The introduction of Face-ID and other digital reforms has made EPFO services faster, simpler, and more secure. Members can now generate UANs, track PF accounts, and manage claims with ease, making the PF system more efficient and user-friendly than ever.
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