Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) subscribers will soon be able to withdraw provident fund money directly through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), with testing of the facility already completed, Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday. The move is part of a broader push by EPFO to improve service delivery and simplify access for over seven crore members, PTI reported.“We have completed the testing of the facility where members can withdraw EPF (employees’ provident fund) through the use of the UPI payment gateway. The withdrawn amount will be directly transferred into the bank account of the member,” Mandaviya said.The labour ministry has been working on a system under which a portion of EPF savings will remain frozen while a large part will be available for withdrawal directly into linked bank accounts through UPI.
Top 5 things EPFO members should know
1. EPF money can be withdrawn through UPI
Subscribers will be able to view the eligible EPF balance available for transfer into their seeded bank accounts. They can complete the transaction using their linked UPI PIN, enabling direct and secure transfer of funds.Once transferred, members can use the amount for digital payments or withdraw cash through bank ATMs using debit cards.
2. The new system aims to reduce waiting time
At present, EPFO members have to submit withdrawal claims, a process that often takes time.Under the auto-settlement mechanism, claims are processed electronically without manual intervention within three days of filing an application.The limit under auto-settlement has already been raised to Rs 5 lakh from the earlier Rs 1 lakh.This allows members to access funds within three days for purposes including illness, education, marriage and housing.
3. EPFO services are also moving to WhatsApp
Mandaviya said EPFO is planning to use WhatsApp to improve outreach and streamline member services.Members will be able to simply type “Hello” to EPFO’s verified WhatsApp number, identified with a green tick mark, to start interacting with the organisation.Users can also opt to receive EPFO updates on their registered mobile numbers.The communication service will support local and vernacular languages to improve accessibility.The service is expected to be launched within a month.
4. WhatsApp support will initially focus on specific pending cases
The initiative will initially support members eligible under PMVBRY who face issues such as incomplete Aadhaar authentication through UIDAI’s Face Authentication Technology (FAT) or non-activation of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) for Aadhaar-linked bank accounts.Members will receive targeted support directly through WhatsApp for resolving these issues.The service will also provide guided assistance for viewing PF balances, checking the last five transactions, tracking claim status and accessing other EPFO services.
5. EPFO says litigation cases have reduced sharply
Mandaviya said EPFO has also undertaken a mission-mode exercise to reduce pending legal cases.Under the “Nidhi Aapke Nikat (NAN)” programme, consumer court cases were identified and taken up for faster disposal.The number of pending consumer cases declined from 4,936 as of April 1, 2024, to 2,646 as of March 31, 2026.Overall litigation cases also fell from 31,036 as of April 1, 2025, to 27,639 as of April 1, 2026, a reduction of 3,397 cases.“This marks the lowest ever level of litigation pendency in EPFO,” the minister said.Special focus was also placed on reducing long-pending disputes. Cases pending for more than 10 years dropped from 8,539 to 4,665, a decline of nearly 45.4 per cent.In another initiative, EPFO conducted a nationwide campaign during February-March 2026 for cases pending before Central Government Industrial Tribunals (CGITs), leading to the disposal of 353 appeals while efforts continue for another 650 cases.
