"Lakhs of auto claims were kept pending in the system for more than 20 days", forcing field staff to address a "multitude of grievances" on social media. As part of the "EPFO Reform 2.01", the system will use Aadhaar-based verification to link old Member Identification Numbers (MIDs), used since 1952, with modern Universal Account Numbers (UAN). As the association pointed out, "If we consider EPFO subscribers, pensioners, and their immediate family members, EPFO directly touches the lives of about 25 to 35 crore Indians, i.e. Consequently, metro offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Gurugram are under "severe strain", handling tech-savvy subscribers with "rudimentary" technology that still requires manual certification. The association further criticised the appointment of "generalist officers" without prior experience and the Board's hesitancy to exercise its statutory authority to hire the necessary staff.