EPFO 3.0 Update: PF Claims to Be Settled in Just 3 Days – Big Relief for Employees

EPFO News Update 2026: For millions of employed people in the country, the Ministry of Labor has introduced a breakthrough scheme that will directly increase their savings. It’s often seen that when people leave their old jobs, they forget about their PF accounts with small balances, leaving millions of rupees stuck with the EPFO.

Now, the government has taken a historic decision and has undertaken to refund the money from all inactive accounts with deposits of ₹1,000 or less. The biggest relief is that you won’t have to visit any government office to get this money. In this article, we’ll explain in detail how the EPFO will credit this amount to your bank account and what other major benefits you’ll receive under ‘EPFO 3.0’.

Has your PF account also become ‘inoperative’

Under the stringent provisions of PF rules, if no new contributions are deposited into an account for 36 consecutive months (3 years)—whether from the employee or the company—it is considered ‘inoperative’. According to current data, the EPFO has approximately 31.86 lakh such accounts, with a total balance of ₹10,903 crore.

In the first phase of this clean-up campaign, the government has shortlisted 7.11 lakh accounts with balances less than ₹1,000. Preparations are underway to transfer a total of ₹30.52 crore deposited in these accounts directly to the verified bank accounts of the customers. This move is a boon for those who have forgotten their old UAN or do not have any information about their old PF account.

Digital Process for Receiving Money

The Ministry of Labor has determined the most significant feature of this campaign to be its automatic nature. Now, there’s no need to stand in long lines or fill out forms to withdraw your hard-earned money. Account holders whose PF accounts are linked to their Aadhaar card and whose bank details (KYC) are fully updated will have the funds credited directly to their bank accounts digitally.

By adhering to strict security standards, the government is ensuring that the funds reach the rightful beneficiaries. If the original account holder has passed away, the amount will be disbursed to the nominee or legal heir registered by them. This transparent process will not only clean up the system but also strengthen the common man’s trust in the EPFO.

PF claims will now be settled in just 3 days

The government is not only cleaning up old databases but also making the entire system “high-tech” for the future. Under the “EPFO 3.0” project, revolutionary changes are being made to the PF withdrawal process. After the implementation of the new digital system, the average time taken to settle a PF claim will be reduced from 20 days to just 3 days.

The greatest strength of this new technology is its “auto-mode.” Claims that meet the risk criteria will be immediately approved by computer software without any human intervention. This will not only curb corruption but also increase transparency significantly. The EPFO aims to resolve inactive accounts with large balances in a similarly “smart” manner in the future.