India’s Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has launched a process to automatically settle small inoperative EPF accounts, with about 100,000 accounts expected to benefit without individual claims. The Ministry of Labour and Employment announced the initiative at EPFO’s 74th Foundation Day event in New Delhi on Nov. 1.
Only accounts verified through Aadhaar and carrying balances of ₹1,000 or less meet the stated threshold. Before sending funds, EPFO says it will confirm each holder’s identity and bank details. The ministry estimates roughly 100,000 accounts involving ₹5 crore (₹50 million) will benefit, but it has not reported completed transfers. The projected amount describes the expected scope of the initiative, not payments already made. For holders who qualify, the process removes the need to submit a separate claim while retaining identity and bank checks.
EPFO also introduced a service through its verified WhatsApp account at the New Delhi event. Members will be able to use it to review their provident fund balance, recent transaction history and passbook details, as well as get guidance on requirements under the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PMVBRY). The ministry said the channel is intended to spare members some routine trips to EPFO offices. It did not provide a start date or instructions for opening a session.
EPFO’s Central Provident Fund Commissioner said it serves about 80 million contributing members and 8.5 million pensioners, with a retirement corpus near ₹32 trillion. The ministry also reported an average claim-settlement time of 2.57 days in October 2026. It linked the occasion to EPFO’s founding commitment in 1952. No date was announced for the first automatic transfers.
