EPFO starts testing digital life certificates for pensioners

Retirement fund body EPFO has launched pilot projects that will eventually lead to a nationwide facility for pensioners to submit digital life certificates through mobile phones.
The pilots have been started in Delhi and Chandigarh. Once implemented across the country, the facility will allow about 47 lakh pensioners to submit digital life certificates using their mobiles.
Currently, pensioners are required to submit a life certificate every year in November.
"The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has started two pilot projects at Chandigarh and Delhi (North) for testing the facility for submitting digital life certificates by pensions," a senior official said.

The two regional offices have been asked to prepare a report on the testings and submit it by January 26, he said.
It will reveal as to how the facility works using EPFO database and applications software and whether any glitches need to be fixed before the final launch, he added.

Pensioners will need to provide their pension payment order, Aadhaar number, bank account and mobile number to the EPFO to register for the facility.
Earlier this month, EPFO's Central Provident Fund Commissioner K K Jalan had told that the facility is developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and the EPFO would make changes in the application developed by the NIC according to its software.

Jalan had also assured to launch the pilots this month. The EPFO has started the process of registering pensioners for the purpose at Delhi and Chandigarh on December 26.