PF interest for FY26 being credited

Retirement fund body Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has begun processing annual interest for the financial year 2025-26 and subscribers are expected to see the updated balances in their passbooks by July 15, marking one of the earliest interest credit cycles in recent years.Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on July 8 that the faster timeline has been made possible by the rollout of EPFO's Centralised IT-Enabled Services (CITES 2.01), which has shifted the organisation from a fragmented database structure to a unified digital platform.The government had approved an annual interest rate of 8.25% on employees' provident fund deposits last month.

EPFO will now process interest for about 34 crore member accounts, involving payouts of more than Rs 1.44 lakh crore.

The interest will be automatically computed before undergoing verification by field offices and subsequently reflected in members' passbooks.Also read | Credit cards are losing ground to small personal loans, TransUnion CIBIL data showsThe transition marks a significant departure from the earlier practice when subscribers often had to wait until October or November for the annual interest to be credited following government approval.The overhaul is expected to improve service delivery by replacing the earlier decentralised system, where individual field offices maintained separate databases.With all member records now hosted on a single centralised platform, EPFO subscribers will be able to access services from any authorised office across the country instead of depending on the office where their account was originally maintained.The upgraded digital architecture also provides members with a consolidated online interface through which they can monitor provident fund balances, track claim status, view pensionable service records and access details of benefits received.

The move is aimed at improving transparency while reducing dependence on physical visits to EPFO offices.Also read | Cost of free alerts: RBI’s SMS order may dent banks’ income by Rs 300 croreThe new platform is also expected to accelerate claim settlements.

Payments will now be processed through a centralised mechanism and routed via electronic payment systems, enabling quicker transfer of settlement amounts directly into members' bank accounts.EPFO has also revised the method of calculating interest in final settlement cases.

Instead of limiting interest accrual to the last day of the preceding month, interest will now be computed up to the date on which payment is authorised.

The change is expected to ensure members receive interest for the entire eligible period before settlement.The organisation has simultaneously simplified rules governing partial withdrawals.

Earlier spread across 13 different categories, advance withdrawal provisions have now been consolidated into three broad heads covering essential personal requirements such as illness, education and marriage, housing-related needs, and special circumstances.The streamlined framework is intended to make the withdrawal process easier to understand and administer.Members will also be permitted to withdraw up to 75% of their provident fund balance under the revised framework, providing greater financial flexibility when required.Another major operational change relates to account transfers after a job switch.

For Aadhaar-linked Universal Account Number (UAN) holders, transfers of provident fund accumulations between employers will now be initiated and completed automatically, eliminating the need for members to submit separate transfer requests.EPFO has also expanded the reach of its centralised pension payment system.

Pension claims processed by any regional office can now be credited through any bank account across the country, replacing the earlier arrangement that restricted pension payments to the bank branch linked to the Pension Payment Order.The change is expected to make pension disbursement more convenient for retirees, particularly those who relocate after retirement. ...