EPFO members who receive messages stating 'Dear Member, your UAN is not authenticated through Aadhaar Face Authentication (FAT). FAT is mandatory for PMVBRY benefits...' can complete the authentication process through the new Aadhaar app. According to reports from Personal Finance News, the process involves live scanning of the member's face for verification of identity with the UIDAI. Members must ensure they have both UMANG and AadhaarFaceRD apps installed on their mobile phones before proceeding with the authentication. The authentication process is part of the broader EPFO 3.0 digital upgrade that allows subscribers to withdraw PF savings directly through UPI and ATMs without requiring employer approval.
To complete the FAT process, members should download the official Aadhaar app from Google or Apple Play Store or use the link shared in the UIDAI's official post. As reported by Personal Finance News, the registration process requires providing your 12-digit Aadhaar number, selecting the SIM for SMS verification, and authenticating your identity using face scan. The face scan will initiate automatically, with EPFO providing best practices including well-lit surroundings with minimum shadow and cleaning the device's front camera lens beforehand to avoid blurry images. Members must remember to blink their eyes once during the scan process. The authentication is mandatory for accessing PMVBRY benefits and forms part of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation's comprehensive digital transformation initiative.
The Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PMVBRY) provides first-timers joining the formal workforce for the first time with a one-time incentive of up to ₹15,000 to assist them in navigating their learning curve before becoming fully productive. According to Personal Finance News, the Government of India announced the Employment Linked Incentives Scheme as part of the 'Prime Minister's Package for Employment and Skilling' in Budget 2024-25. The scheme comprises two parts, providing assistance to employees and support to establishments for making new employees more productive while incentivizing establishments that generate additional employment.
The EPFO 3.0 digital upgrade represents a comprehensive transformation of India's provident fund system, allowing subscribers to withdraw PF savings directly through UPI applications and UPI-enabled ATMs without requiring employer approval. As announced by Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, the facility has completed testing where members can withdraw EPF through the UPI payment gateway with direct bank account transfer. The system has been integrated with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and secured partnerships with 32 public and private sector banks, including SBI, HDFC, and ICICI. Under the revamped framework, eligible members can withdraw up to 75% of their accumulated EPF balance via UPI applications, while instant cash withdrawals from authorised ATMs are capped at 50% to prevent sudden depletion of emergency reserves.
