The EPFO has taken a historic and unprecedented decision for its members. EPF account holders will now be able to withdraw their entire PF balance (100%) if needed. The government has described this powerful move as a major reform towards improving the “ease of living” of citizens. This important decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Labor Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, making withdrawals for needs such as education, marriage, illness, or housing easier and hassle-free than ever before. This change will enhance the financial independence and convenience of millions of employees.
Partial Withdrawals Made Easy
The EPFO’s Central Board of Trustees (CBT) meeting, chaired by Labor Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, approved several important decisions, the most significant of which is that the rules for partial withdrawals from EPF have been completely simplified and made flexible. Previously, there were 13 different and complex rules for partial withdrawals, which have now been consolidated into just three broad categories.
These categories include essential needs such as illness, education, and marriage, housing needs, and special circumstances. Employees will now be able to withdraw up to 100% of their account balance, including both the employee’s and employer’s share. Additionally, the withdrawal limit for education has been increased to 10 times and for marriage to 5 times. Previously, a minimum service requirement of 5 years was required for any partial withdrawal, which has now been reduced to just 12 months, making this facility effective immediately.
Guaranteed Minimum Balance and Automatic Claim Settlement
EPFO has taken a crucial decision to ensure that the benefits of retirement funds remain intact while providing the freedom to withdraw funds whenever needed. Under this, 25% of a member’s account will always remain as a “minimum balance,” earning 8.25% interest and continuing compounding benefits. Previously, in cases of “special circumstances” (such as natural disasters, pandemics, unemployment, or lockdowns), members were required to provide reasons, leading to rejection of many claims. However, now withdrawals in this category can be made without providing any reason.
EPFO has also clarified that 100% of partial withdrawal claims will now be settled automatically without any documentation. Furthermore, final settlement rules have been changed: premature settlement of PF will now be made in 12 months instead of 2 months, and pension withdrawals will be made in 36 months instead of 2 months.
Expansion of Vishwas Scheme and Digital Services
The meeting also approved the “Vishwas Scheme,” which primarily aims to reduce litigation in penalty cases. The penalty for delayed PF deposits will now be only 1% per month, which is a major relief. According to the Labor Ministry, penalties amounting to ₹2,406 crore are pending in such cases as of May 2025, and over 6,000 cases are pending in court. This scheme will run for six months and can be extended by another six months if needed. Additionally, the CBT also approved the “EPFO 3.0 Digital Framework,” which will fully digitalize and automate PF services.
This will include cutting-edge features such as multilingual self-service, instant claims, and online withdrawals. For EPS-95 pensioners, the EPFO, in collaboration with the India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), has launched the facility of providing digital life certificates at home, for which pensioners will have to pay no fee. Labor Minister Mandaviya emphasized that these decisions will make EPFO services transparent, faster, and technology-based, directly benefiting crores of employees.