Info Center

MPFA Chairman Mrs Ayesha Macpherson Lau published her blog post today (26 July), in which she mentioned that there had been isolated cases of abuse related to early withdrawal of MPF. These abuses include submitting applications for early withdrawal of MPF by making false declarations or other unlawful means. There were also cases in which lawbreakers induced scheme members to make unlawful applications for early withdrawal of MPF or illegally withdraw the MPF benefits of scheme members reaching the age of 65 using high-quality counterfeit identity cards. To improve the protection of scheme members’ MPF, the eMPF^TM Platform (eMPF) will introduce a new arrangement at the end of July to further strengthen the verification requirements for MPF withdrawal applications.

Under the new arrangement, except for withdrawal applications on the grounds of small balance ($5,000 or below) and death, all scheme members submitting MPF withdrawal applications via eMPF, including withdrawal after reaching the age of 65, must undergo step-up authentication through “iAM Smart” (Step 2 in the above diagram) and complete real-time facial identification to ensure the authenticity and accuracy of the applicant’s identity.

Scheme members who had previously completed identity authentication through “iAM Smart” when registering with eMPF will still need to undergo step-up authentication through “iAM Smart” when they submit applications for MPF withdrawal via eMPF. Following successful authentication, they will also be required to submit relevant supporting documents through eMPF. Upon completion of vetting the supporting documents, MPF trustees will then pay out MPF to the applicants. 

Mrs Lau pointed out in the blog that one of eMPF’s functions is to standardize administration processes and improve overall operational efficiency. However, there will still be exceptional cases in which the standardized workflow may not be applicable, including special claims that require professional assessment and judgment from trustees. In handling such cases, trustees must perform their fiduciary and statutory duties, acting with honesty, loyalty and in best interest of scheme members while complying with all applicable regulatory requirements.

If the relevant trustee requires additional information from scheme members, eMPF will follow up and maintain communication with them to provide assistance and monitor the entire process to ensure that the case is handled properly. Mrs Lau said that these cases require more comprehensive verification and assessment, so a longer processing time may be unavoidable. Nevertheless, while safeguarding scheme members’ interests and ensuring compliance with the relevant legal and regulatory requirements, eMPF and the trustees will make every effort to expedite the processing of such cases. 

For the full version of the article, please visit the MPFA blog. The blog is available in Chinese only.

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26 July 2026