Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, May 19: Employees' Provident Fund Organisation subscribers will soon be able to withdraw provident fund money directly into their bank accounts through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters, the minister said testing of the new facility had been completed and the service would soon be rolled out for EPFO members.
“We have completed the testing of the facility where members can withdraw EPF 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 The withdrawn amount will be directly transferred into the bank account of the member,” Mandaviya said.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on a system under which a portion of EPF savings would remain frozen while the remaining eligible balance could be withdrawn instantly through linked bank accounts using UPI.
Subscribers will be able to view the eligible balance available for transfer and complete transactions securely using their linked UPI PIN.
Once transferred, the money can be used digitally or withdrawn through ATMs using debit cards.
Officials said the EPFO has been addressing software issues to ensure smooth implementation of the facility, which is expected to benefit more than seven crore members.
Currently, EPFO subscribers must submit withdrawal claims manually, a process often criticised for delays. Under the existing auto-settlement system, claims are electronically processed within three days without manual intervention.
The limit for auto-settlement claims has already been increased from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh for purposes such as illness, education, marriage and housing.
Mandaviya also announced that EPFO plans to launch member services through WhatsApp within a month to improve accessibility and communication.
Under the new service, members can send a simple “Hello” message to EPFO’s verified WhatsApp number to access various services.
The platform will support local and vernacular languages, allowing users to check PF balances, view the last five transactions, track claim status and receive assistance around the clock.
The initiative will particularly assist beneficiaries under schemes such as PMVBRY who face issues related to Aadhaar authentication or Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) activation.
The minister further said EPFO had launched a mission-mode drive to reduce litigation and speed up disposal of pending cases.
According to official data, pending consumer cases declined from 4,936 in April 2024 to 2,646 by March 2026 under the “Nidhi Aapke Nikat” programme.
Overall litigation pendency also reduced from 31,036 cases in April 2025 to 27,639 cases in April 2026.
Cases pending for over 10 years reportedly declined by nearly 45 per cent, from 8,539 to 4,665 cases.
EPFO also conducted a nationwide campaign during February-March 2026 to resolve disputes before Central Government Industrial Tribunals related to delayed employer remittances under the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952.
Officials said 353 appeals were disposed of during the campaign, while efforts continue to clear more pending cases.