The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation is planning key changes for its subscribers, including a possible increase in minimum pension and the introduction of ATM-based withdrawals.
According to reports, the government is examining a proposal to raise the minimum pension under the Employees’ Pension Scheme from ₹1,000 to ₹7,500. The demand has been pushed by labour unions and backed by a parliamentary panel, with a decision expected soon.
EPFO is also likely to maintain an interest rate of 8.25% on provident fund deposits. The proposal is currently awaiting approval from the Finance Ministry, after which the interest will be credited to subscribers’ accounts.To improve accessibility, EPFO is working on enabling ATM withdrawals, allowing members to access their funds more conveniently and quickly.
The organisation has also reported a significant rise in claim settlements. In the financial year 2025–26, EPFO settled 8.31 crore claims, compared to 6.01 crore in the previous year. Of these, 5.51 crore were advance or partial withdrawal claims.
Officials noted that increased automation has boosted efficiency, with 71.11% of advance claims settled within three days, up from 59.19% last year.Digital initiatives have further streamlined operations, with 6.68 crore claims processed without cheque uploads.
Additionally, 1.59 crore accounts were linked to bank accounts without employer approval, and 70.55 lakh transfer claims were auto-processed.In April 2026 alone, EPFO settled 61.03 lakh claims, with nearly 98.70% processed within 20 days.The organisation has also launched the E-PRAAPTI platform to help users activate inactive provident fund accounts using Aadhaar-based access.
The facility is expected to benefit members whose accounts are not yet linked with Universal Account Numbers, with plans for further expansion.