If you are employed and a member of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), you will soon be able to get information related to your PF balance, claim status and last five transactions on WhatsApp. All you need to do is send a message by typing 'Hello'. The entire information will then appear on your smartphone screen. This service will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This service is expected to be launched in a month.
To increase access for its members and simplify services, the EPFO plans to launch a new service on the popular messaging platform soon. According to reports, the main objective of this new initiative is to allow subscribers to quickly check their PF balance, view their last five transactions, and track their claim status without any hassle.
WhatsApp support services will also benefit members who are eligible under the Pradhan Mantri Vikas Bharat Rojgar Yojana (PMVBRY) but have pending workloads. These include incomplete verification for UIDAI's Face Authentication Technology (FAT) and non-enabled DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) in their bank accounts. These members will now be able to access necessary support and guidance through WhatsApp.
How will this WhatsApp service work?
- Members simply need to type "Hello" and send it to the EPFO's registered WhatsApp number. Members can also choose to receive EPFO messages on their registered mobile number.
- EPFO will first check whether the WhatsApp message comes from the same mobile number linked to the member's UAN (Universal Account Number).
- After successful verification, members will see a simple menu in their local language. Members can access information by selecting options or answering simple questions.
The AI chatbot will answer questions
According to reports, an AI chatbot will process these messages on the EPFO's end. This chatbot will provide instant answers to your questions, either directly or by searching the EPFO's database. This entire process will be monitored to determine member satisfaction with the service.
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