Business Desk, ETV Bharat: The salaried class in India can now resolve queries related to their provident fund (PF) accounts simply and quickly through a Whatsapp helpline that will connect them directly with the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation’s (EPFO’s) regional offices.
EPFO had launched the WhatsApp-based helpline-cum-grievance redressal mechanism after the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure seamless and un-interrupted service delivery to subscribers.
On Wednesday, EPFO informed that it has so far redressed more than 164,040 grievances and queries through WhatsApp. This has resulted in a decline in registration of grievances/queries on social media like Facebook/Twitter by 30% and on EPFO’s online grievance resolution portal EPFiGMS by 16% since the launch of WhatsApp helpline numbers.
The Whatsapp helpline is proving to be an effective redressal mechanism as it allows PF subscribers to interact directly with EPFO’s regional offices at a personalized level, adhering to one-to-one guidance principle.
If you want to raise a PF-related query on Whatsapp, here’s a quick guide to the process:
Is EPF Whatsapp helpline a pan-India service?
Yes. All the 138 regional offices of EPFO now have their own functional WhatsApp helpline number. To get a list of the dedicated helpline numbers of all regional offices, visit the home page of the EPFO website or click on this link: https://www.epfindia.gov.in/site_docs/PDFs/Downloads_PDFs/WhatsApp_Helpline.pdf
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How can subscribers raise query?
Any stakeholder can simply file grievance or seek guidance on any queries relating to services provided by EPFO, by putting a WhatsApp message on the helpline number of the concerned regional office where the PF account is maintained.
To ensure expeditious resolution of the grievance and reply to the queries raised on WhatsApp, each regional office has been equipped with a dedicated team of experts that will start working on the issues as soon as they are raised.
What information do you need to furnish while raising queries?
It is mandatory for subscribers to mention their Universal Account Number (UAN) when raising a query on Whatsapp.
What are the benefits of using Whatsapp helpline?
The ease of raising query and grievance on WhatsApp reduces the need for the subscribers to physically visit EPFO’s offices. This in turn will help maintain social distancing in EPFO’s workplace during COVID-19 pandemic.
If not using Whatsapp, what are the other mechanisms to resolve PF-related queries?
Apart from the Whatsapp facility, other means of grievance redressal forums of EPFO include web-based EPFiGMS portal, CPGRAMS, social media pages (Facebook and Twitter) and a dedicated 24x7 call centre.
