To further enhance ease of living experience for its members, EPFO has recently launched WhatsApp based helpline-cum-grievance redressal mechanism, under its series of Nirbadh initiatives aimed at ensuring seamless and un-interrupted service delivery to subscribers during COVID-19 pandemic. This new grievance redressal mechanism using Whatsapp has gained immense popularity amongst EPFO's stakeholders. So far, EPFO has redressed more than 1,64,040 grievances and queries through WhatsApp. This has led to decline in registration of grievances/queries on social media like Facebook /Twitter by 30% and on EPFiGMS (EPFO’s online grievance resolution portal) by 16% since the launch of WhatsApp helpline numbers.

This facility has been given in addition to the various other means of grievance redressal forums of EPFO which include web-based EPFiGMS portal, CPGRAMS, social media pages (Facebook & Twitter) and a dedicated 24x7 call centre. 

With WhatsApp emerging as a huge platform for communication in India, EPFO grabbed the extraordinary opportunity that the app provides to reach and communicate directly with all its stakeholders. This initiative will allow the PF subscribers to interact directly with EPFO’s regional offices at a personalized level adhering to one-to-one guidance principle. It will ensure prompt and secure services to the subscribers from the comfort of their homes. 

WhatsApp helpline is now functional in all the 138 regional offices of EPFO. Any stakeholders 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. Dedicated WhatsApp Helpline numbers of all regional offices are available at homepage of EPFO’s official website. 

The helpline aims to make the subscribers self-reliant by taking digital initiatives of EPFO to the last mile, thereby reducing dependence on intermediaries. 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. 

The ease of raising query and grievance on WhatsApp will drastically reduce 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. 

The helpline is an attempt to further strengthen the direct channel of communication between EPFO and its subscribers amid the pandemic, thereby enhancing EPFO’s responsiveness and facilitating timely delivery of services to subscribers. 

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RCJ/RNM/IA