EPFO's passbook portal back online ahead of interest credit
What's the story
The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has restored its Passbook portal after nearly two weeks of downtime. The service was suspended due to a major database consolidation and software upgrade. Now, with the passbook portal back in action, members can log in and view their provident fund account statements. The restoration comes just days ahead of the EPFO's plan to credit an annual interest rate of 8.25% for FY2025-26 into subscribers' accounts from July 15.
User guidance
Transactions for recent accounting years available
When users log in to the passbook portal, they are greeted with a message stating: "The account transactions for the recently processed accounting years are currently available. Transactions pertaining to earlier accounting years are being migrated and will be made available within the next few days." The EPFO has assured that this is an automated process requiring no action from members.
System upgrade
Migration process aimed at improving service delivery
The migration process, which started on June 26, is aimed at improving processing efficiency and enhancing service delivery. It also intends to strengthen the reliability and security of EPFO's digital platform. However, the restoration of online services was delayed as the organization had extended the suspension of its online member and employer services multiple times.
Technology overhaul
Upgraded Unified Member Portal back in action
The return of the passbook facility comes after a phased rollout of EPFO's upgraded Unified Member Portal. The upgrade started on July 3, following a major technology overhaul aimed at enhancing security and user experience. However, with this system upgrade, members can no longer activate their Universal Account Number (UAN) via the Unified Member Portal. Now, UAN activation is only possible through the UMANG mobile app using Aadhaar-based Face Authentication Technology (FAT).
App status
Services on UMANG app still unavailable
Despite the portal's restoration, EPFO services are still unavailable on the UMANG app due to the ongoing migration process. The app displays a notice stating that services are expected to resume shortly. This extended maintenance period is one of the longest planned outages by the retirement fund body in recent years, affecting millions of subscribers, employers, and establishments relying on EPFO's online platform for digital access.