Lok Sabha Question No. 2551 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-17
Subject: Prompt Settlement of Claims by EPFO
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, Shri Jai Prakash

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2551 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.03.2025

## PROMPT SETTLEMENT OF CLAIMS BY EPFO

2551. SHRI JAI PRAKASH:

SHRI TRIVENDRA SINGH RAWAT:

SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)the  details  of  the  plan  being  formulated  by  the  Government  to further improve the claim settlement process for EPFO members;
- (b)the details of the steps being taken by the Government to ensure that the claims are processed transparently and without errors;
- (c)whether the Government has any plan to extend the benefits of EPFO  membership  to  more  workers  in  informal  sectors  or  gig economy jobs in the near future; and (d)if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

- EPFO has undertaken a number of steps to streamline the
- (a) & (b): process of claim settlement. They are as under:
- (i) For Auto mode processing of advance claims, the amount limit has been enhanced to Rupees One lakh. Further, in addition to Illness / hospitalization advances, the advances for housing, education and marriage are also enabled for auto mode processing. Now 60% of advance claims are processed are in auto mode.
- The auto-mode claims are processed within three days. EPFO achieved a historic high of 2.16 crore auto-claims settlement as on 06.03.2025 during the current financial year, up from 89.52 lakh in FY 2023-24.
- (ii)  Member  details  correction  process  has  been  simplified,  and members having Aadhaar-verified UANs can make corrections in their IDs themselves, without any EPFO interventions. At present, about 96% corrections are being done without any EPF office intervention.

- (iii)   In Transfer claim submission requests, the need for employer's attestation of Aadhaar-verified UANs has been done away with.  Now only 10% transfer claims require member and employer's attestation. (iv) The requirement for submitting a cheque-leaf with the claim form has also been relaxed for KYC-compliant UANs meeting prescribed criteria. (v)  Over 99.31% claims are now received in online mode, without any requirement to visit the field office. In FY 2024-25 as on 06.03.2025, 7.14 Crore claims have been filed in online mode. (vi)  Certain  upfront  validations  have  been  developed  to  guide members about eligibility /admissibility of claims so as to ensure that members do not file ineligible claims (vii)  The  claim  settlement  process  is  being  further  simplified  with Centralization of  member databases under CITES 2.01 (c) & (d): The  Central  Government  has  formulated  the  Code  on Social Security, 2020 (SS Code) after amalgamating, simplifying and rationalizing the relevant provisions of the existing nine Central Acts. The  said  Code  inter  alia  envisages  extension  of  social  security benefits to unorganized workers, gig workers and platform workers and the members of their families. The  Government  in  its  Budget  announcement  made  on 1.2.2025, proposed to register gig and platform workers on e-Shram portal, arrange for their identity cards and provide health care under Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB- PMJAY) health scheme.

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