Deadline Extended! EPFO Extends Aadhaar Seeding Deadline for ELI Scheme to December 15

The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has announced an extension of the deadline for linking the Universal Account Number (UAN) and seeding Aadhaar with bank accounts to avail benefits under the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme. The new deadline is December 15, 2024, revising the earlier cut-off of November 30, 2024 as mentioned in the circular released by the EPFO dated 4th December. This extension was anticipated as the government has not yet provided detailed guidelines for the ELI scheme.

EPFO also shared this update on its X (formerly Twitter) handler which said "Dear Employers, the date of UAN activation and Aadhaar seeding of Bank Account has been extended till 15th December. Ensure to do the same for all employees who have joined in the current financial year, starting with the latest joinees, to avail the benefit of the Employment Linked Incentive scheme."

How to Activate UAN Online; A Step-by-Step Guide

Employees who have missed the deadline or are not aware of How to activate their UAN can follow these steps:

Step 1: Visit the EPFO Member Sewa portal.

Step 2: Go to the important links section on the page and Click on 'Activate UAN'

Step 3: Next you will have to enter UAN, Aadhaar number, date of birth, and the Aadhaar-linked mobile number.

Step 4: Agree to Aadhaar OTP verification and click on Get Authorization PIN

Step 5: You will then receive an OTP .Enter the OTP received on your Aadhaar-linked mobile to complete activation.

Thai is the last chance for Employers and employees to act promptly to ensure compliance with the December 15 deadline and secure benefits under the ELI scheme.

What is the ELI Scheme?

The Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme was introduced in the Union Budget 2024, in an effort to promote formal employment and incentivize additional workforce engagement. As per Finance Minister's Budget 2024 speech, complied by ET, It is subdivided into three categories:

Scheme A: Offers one month's wage (up to Rs.15,000) to first-time employees across all formal sectors, disbursed via direct benefit transfer (DBT) in three installments. Eligibility is capped at a monthly salary of Rs.1 lakh.

Scheme B: Encourages employment growth in the manufacturing sector by providing incentives to employees and employers based on their EPFO contributions over four years.

Scheme C: Focuses on employers and incentivizes additional employment across all sectors for workers earning up to Rs.1 lakh per month.