Great news for all employees who are account holders with the Employees Provident Fund Organization! The deadline for activating your Universal Account Number (UAN) and linking your Aadhaar with your bank accounts to benefit from the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme has been pushed back again. You now have until March 15, 2025, to get this done.

 

This update comes from a recent circular by the Ministry of Labor and Employment, which previously set the deadline for February 15, 2025. Remember, to take advantage of the ELI scheme, it’s essential for EPFO members to activate their UAN and link their Aadhaar to their bank accounts. If your UAN isn’t activated, you won’t be able to access the benefits of the ELI scheme.

 

So, what’s the ELI scheme all about? The Government of India introduced the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme in the 2024-25 budget, aiming to create 20 million jobs over the next two years. To receive cash benefits under this scheme, employees must activate their UAN and link it with their Aadhaar through their bank accounts.

 

The ELI scheme consists of three parts: A, B, and C, all designed to boost job creation and provide financial support to new employees. The goal is to create employment, develop skills, and open up opportunities for 41 million young people over five years, with a budget of ₹2 lakh crore. The target is to generate over 20 million jobs in just two years.

 

Every EPFO subscriber must link their UAN with Aadhaar, which needs to be activated by creating a login on the member portal to access various services from a single platform.

 

Under this initiative, first-time employees will receive a salary of up to Rs 15,000 in three installments, which will be directly deposited into their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts.

 

Both employers and new employees will benefit from incentives on EPFO contributions for four years. The government will provide Rs 3,000 per month to employers for each new hire, with this support available for two years.

 

This will encourage employers to expand their workforce, and employees earning up to Rs 1 lakh can also take advantage of this benefit.

 

To activate your UAN number, follow these steps:

1. Visit the EPFO website at epfindia.gov.in.

2. Click on “For Employees” in the Services section.

3. Select “Member UAN Online Service OCS OTCP” from the Services column.

4. Click on “Activate UAN.”

5. Enter your 12-digit UAN, Aadhaar number, name, date of birth, Aadhaar-linked mobile number, and captcha code.

6. Check the declaration box below.

7. Click on the “Get Authorization Pin” button.

8. Enter the OTP and click on the submit button.

 

Your UAN will then be activated.

 

To link your KYC details with UAN, log in to the EPF member portal and follow these steps:

1. Select the “KYC” option from the Home Page.

2. Choose the details you wish to add (PAN, Bank Account, Aadhaar, etc.).

3. Fill in the necessary information and click “Save.”

 

Your request will appear under “Pending KYC approval.” Once your employer approves it, it will change to “Digital Approved by Employer.” After UIDAI verification, it will show as “Verified by UIDAI.”