In the financial year 2025–26, the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) achieved a milestone by settling 8.31 crore claims, a significant increase from the previous year’s 6.01 crore claims. A large portion of these settlements, totaling 5.51 crore claims, were for advance or partial withdrawals, showcasing improved accessibility for members in utilizing their provident fund savings. The automation processes of EPFO have been enhanced, with 71.11% of advance claims being processed through the auto mode system, reducing manual intervention and enhancing efficiency.
Digital convenience for EPFO members has notably improved, with 6.68 crore members filing claims without uploading cheque leaf images, 1.59 crore members linking their bank accounts without employer approval, and various other streamlined processes. In April 2026 alone, EPFO settled 61.03 lakh claims, with a significant percentage of advance claims being processed automatically and a high rate of total claims settled within 20 days, indicating faster service delivery. The EPFO also approved an interest rate of 8.25% on employees’ provident fund (EPF) deposits for 2025-26, maintaining the rate for the second consecutive year.
The decision on the interest rate was made at the 239th meeting of the Central Board of Trustees, chaired by Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. The interest on EPF deposits is calculated monthly but credited annually, with accounts inactive for 36 months not earning further interest. Once approved by the Ministry of Finance, the new interest rate will benefit over seven crore EPFO subscribers.
