10 major EPFO changes for EPF, EPS members: EPF interest by July 15, Rs 5 lakh auto claims, easier withdrawals & more​

Mansukh Mandaviya, the Union Labour and Employment Minister, has announced a number of changes, such as faster EPF claim settlements, automatic PF account transfers upon job changes, an increased auto-settlement cap for advance claims, simpler withdrawal procedures, and easier access to Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) services from any PF office.

Here's a look at the 10 key changes announced for Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS) members.

According to Mandaviya, EPFO anticipates crediting members' accounts with the annual interest for FY 2025–2026 by July 15, 2026. The new platform would process almost Rs 1.44 lakh crore in interest, which will then be credited to about 34 crore EPF accounts following field authorities' verification, says the minister.

Mandaviya says on login to the EPFO member portal, subscribers will have access to a unified digital interface to view their membership details, provident fund balances, claim status, pensionable service records, and benefits availed, thereby ensuring transparency and access to information about their PF account and the submission of claims," he said.

Under the new EPF framework, member claims will undergo automated pre-validation prior to processing at EPFO offices.

Any deficiencies or discrepancies will be identified upfront and appropriate guidance will be provided to members, thereby significantly reducing claim rejections and improving first-time acceptance rates, says the minister.

Members will also be able to know what is the eligible amount for EPFwithdrawal under different categories.

Earlier, members often did not know the PF amount they were eligible to withdraw under different categories, which resulted in claim rejections when applications exceeded permissible limits, says the minister.

Mandaviya further said a substantial proportion of advance claims of up to Rs 5 lakh, which are fully KYC-linked and validated, would now be processed through an auto-settlement mechanism. An auto-settlement method will now handle Rs 5 lakh advance EPF claims, which are fully KYC-linked and approved.

The auto-settlement cap for advance claims has been raised from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, Manadaviya sai

The minister added that EPFO offices will be able to post questions online, enabling members to reply digitally, whenever further details or clarification are needed throughout the processing of claims.

According to him, this will facilitate quicker EPF resolution, limit in-person trips to EPFO offices, and further lower the number of claims denied. Members had no way to submit or obtain clarifications online in the past.
Mandaviya further said, "Claim payments will be processed through centralised payment architecture and routed through faster electronic payment channels, ensuring secure, efficient, and timely credit of settlement amounts directly into EPF members' bank accounts on the day of settlement."

In order to ensure that EPF members receive extra interest during the gap, he also stated that the updated system will now compute interest in final PF payments up to the date of payment permission rather than just up to the last day of the preceding month.

The minister said the earlier 13 complex partial withdrawal rules have been streamlined into three simplified categories, essential needs, housing needs and special circumstances to make the withdrawal process easier to understand.

Now, EPFO members will now be able to withdraw up to 75 per cent of their total PF balance, he added.

Mandaviya further said that EPF members will no longer need to file separate PF transfer forms when they shift employment because Aadhaar-linked Universal Account Number (UAN)-based PF accounts will now be transferred automatically.

In the past, transferring PF accounts required clearance from the EPFO office, the new employer, and the former employer in addition to a separate application to transfer service history.

He added that instead of being limited to the regional office where their PF account was kept, EPFO members would be able to ask for help and clarifications from any PF office nationwide thanks to the centralised IT system.

According to Mandaviya, pensioners covered by the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS) can now request services or submit life certificates at any PF office.

Pension claims processed in any regional office might be credited to any bank account anywhere in India under the centralised pension payment system, he continued.

In the past, retirees could only get their pension through the branch office associated with their Pension Payment Order (PPO).