EPFO Big Update: Employees can now withdraw 100 percent money, new system to be implemented from…

Members can use up to 100 percent of their Provident Fund balance (including both employer and employee contributions) for any of these three purposes.

New Delhi: The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has made the partial withdrawal process from Provident Fund (PF) simpler and more flexible for its members. According to the reports, the organisation has reduced the earlier 13 different provisions into three main categories — education, home-related purposes, and special circumstances.

As per the new system, members can now use up to 100 percent of their Provident Fund balance (including both employer and employee contributions) for any of these three purposes. The withdrawal limit for education-related needs has been increased from 3 times to 10 times, and for marriage purposes from 3 times to 5 times. A minimum service period of 12 months has been set for all types of withdrawals.

Here are some of the key details:

• Members can use up to 100 percent of their Provident Fund balance (including both employer and employee contributions) for any of these three purposes.
• The withdrawal limit for education-related needs has been increased from 3 times to 10 times, and for marriage purposes from 3 times to 5 times.
• Earlier, for special circumstances such as natural disasters, company closure, lockdowns, pandemics, or prolonged unemployment, members had to state the reason for withdrawal in their claim.
• Now, the requirement to specify the reason has been removed, reducing the chances of claim rejection.
• EPFO has also stipulated that at least 25% of the balance must remain in the Provident Fund account.
• Additionally, the minimum gap for full PF withdrawal has been increased from 2 months to 12 months
• The pension fund withdrawal has been increased from 2 months to 36 months.

Previously, members used to withdraw their entire pension amount after two months, which would break the continuity of service if they got a new job, causing them to lose pension benefits. The new policy ensures continuity of service, allowing more members to become eligible for pension benefits.