EPFO Withdrawal Via UPI to Become Available, Allowing Immediate Transfer of PF Funds to Bank Accounts

Labour Ministry Completes Testing of UPI Payment Gateway for EPFO Withdrawals

The Labour Ministry has completed the testing of a facility that will allow Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) subscribers to withdraw their employees' provident fund directly into their bank accounts through the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) payment gateway. According to Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, the testing has been completed, and the facility is expected to be launched in the coming month.

Facility to Benefit Over 7 Crore Members

The new facility will enable EPFO subscribers to withdraw their EPF balance directly into their seeded bank accounts using their linked UPI pin. The amount will be transferred securely into their bank accounts, allowing members to use the money as they see fit, such as making electronic payments or withdrawing cash through bank ATMs using debit cards.

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Auto-Settlement Mode to Be Expanded

The EPFO has also expanded its auto-settlement mode, which allows withdrawal claims to be settled electronically within three days of filing the application form. The limit of this auto-settlement mode has been raised to Rs 5 lakh from the existing Rs 1 lakh, facilitating a large number of EPFO members to access their EPF money within three days for purposes such as illness, education, marriage, and housing.

EPFO to Use WhatsApp for Enhanced Outreach

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The EPFO has also taken the initiative to use WhatsApp for enhancing outreach and streamlining member services. Under this facility, members can initiate a conversation with EPFO by typing 'Hello' to the registered WhatsApp number, which will be verified by a green tick mark for safety and assurance. Members can also choose to receive messages from EPFO on their mobile number registered with EPFO.

Reducing Litigation and Ensuring Timely Resolution

The EPFO has undertaken a focused, mission-mode initiative to reduce litigation and ensure the timely resolution of pending cases across various legal forums. The ministry has launched a dedicated mission mode drive for the disposal of cases pending before consumer courts, resulting in a significant reduction in pending consumer cases from 4,936 as of April 1, 2024, to 2,646 as of March 31, 2026.

Pendency of Litigation Cases

The overall pendency of litigation cases has reduced from 31,036 cases as of April 1, 2025, to 27,639 cases as of April 1, 2026, reflecting a reduction of 3,397 cases. This marks the lowest ever level of litigation pendency in EPFO.

Long-Pending Cases

Consequently, the number of cases pending for more than 10 years declined from 8,539 to 4,665, registering a reduction of 3,874 cases, or nearly 45.4 per cent.