Indore: Taking a big leap towards ensuring uniform standards of service delivery across the country and optimum utilisation of its workforce during COVID-19 pandemic, EPFO launched a multi-location claim settlement facility. This facility will bring a paradigm shift by allowing EPFO offices to settle online claims from any of its regional offices, across the country.
According to officials at EPFO Regional Commissioner Office Indore, all types of online claims i.e. provident fund, pension, partial withdrawal and claims and transfer claims can be processed under this novel initiative. COVID-19 crisis has affected 135 regional offices of EPFO with different levels of severity depending on their location.
To reduce the delays by uniformly distributing the claim settlement related workload, EPFO has moved away from the existing system of geographical jurisdiction for claim processing by rolling out multi-location claim settlement facility. This will allow offices with lesser workload to share the burden of offices that have accumulated a higher level of pendency, due to COVID-19 restrictions. It enables fast-tracking of settlement process through the most appropriate engagement of EPFO’s workforce in all its regional offices across the country.
Since its launch, claims pertaining to offices that fall in the containment zones are being distributed to offices in other locations for expeditious processing.
Further, the launch of multi-location claim settlement facility is a momentous step towards the larger objectives of ushering faceless claims processing thereby bringing greater levels of transparency, efficiency, reduction of member grievances and expeditious settlement of online claims in line with Prime Minister's vision of Digital India.Despite its functioning being adversely impacted due to COVID-19 restrictions, EPFO’s officers and staff are settling more than 80,000 claims amounting to Rs 270 crore per working day since 1st April 2020. With multi-location claim facility EPFO is set to achieve higher benchmarks in service delivery ensuring social security for its more than 6 crore subscribers during the time of crisis.
