In a major push towards financial digitalization, the Central Government is set to revolutionize the way employees interact with their Provident Fund (PF). Gone are the days of tedious paperwork and long waiting periods on the UAN portal. Very soon, private sector employees will be able to withdraw their PF money with just a few clicks on a dedicated mobile application, integrated with UPI technology.

Direct UPI Integration for Faster Claims The Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) is planning to launch a specialized mobile app that will bridge the gap between application and credit. Unlike the current ‘Umang’ app, which primarily provides account information, this new platform will allow direct withdrawals. By integrating UPI (Unified Payments Interface) services like BHIM and other digital payment apps, the government aims to ensure that funds are transferred to the subscriber’s bank account almost instantly in case of emergencies.

Strategic Shift for 7.5 Crore Members Currently, EPFO manages a massive corpus of approximately ₹26 lakh crore with a subscriber base of 7.5 crore active members. The successful trial of the app has already been completed. This move is expected to drastically reduce the burden on the existing portal and streamline the claim settlement process, making it more user-friendly and transparent.

New Withdrawal Guidelines:

• Subscribers can withdraw up to 75% of their total accumulated corpus through the app.
• The remaining 25% must be maintained in the PF account for future security.
• In the event of job loss or retrenchment, the remaining 25% can be withdrawn after a 12-month cooling period.

If everything goes as planned, this service is expected to be operational by the end of March 2026. This initiative marks a significant milestone in making social security benefits as accessible as any other digital banking service in India.