Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) subscribers who have lost track of their old provident fund accounts after changing jobs may soon find it easier to recover their savings.
The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has developed a new digital portal that will allow members to trace, access and transfer old inoperative PF accounts to their active Universal Account Number (UAN) using Aadhaar-based authentication.
The development was announced by Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Friday, responding to a question raised by MP V.K. Sreekandan.
Aadhaar Authentication to Simplify PF Transfers
According to the minister, the new e-portal has been designed to help EPF members identify their old inoperative provident fund accounts and either transfer the balance to their active UAN or apply for settlement online.
The portal will use Aadhaar-based authentication to verify members' identities, making the process more secure while reducing paperwork and physical visits to EPFO offices.
The initiative is expected to benefit employees who switched jobs multiple times before the UAN system became widely adopted or those who unintentionally left behind PF balances in older accounts.
Digital Process to Reduce Paperwork
Apart from helping members locate old accounts, the portal will also support the online submission of Joint Declarations for Know Your Customer (KYC) updates, subject to verification.
The government said the digital platform aims to minimise manual intervention, improve transparency and enable faster settlement of old EPF accounts.
According to the Labour Ministry, these features are expected to make the recovery and transfer of inoperative PF accounts more efficient and hassle-free.
ALSO READ: EPFO Stops UAN Activation On Member Portal
No Proposal for Members Who Forgot Old Account Numbers
While the new portal is designed to trace old inoperative accounts, the government clarified that it is not planning to expand the facility to help members who have completely forgotten or cannot access their previous PF account numbers or identification details.
"No such proposal is presently under consideration," the minister said in the written reply.
Why the New Portal Matters?
India has more than 8 crore contributing EPF members, and job changes over the years have resulted in many workers holding multiple PF accounts.
Although the Universal Account Number (UAN) system, introduced in 2014, has simplified account portability, many older accounts remain unclaimed or inoperative because they were opened before UAN became mandatory.
The new Aadhaar-enabled portal is expected to make it easier for such members to recover these balances digitally without lengthy documentation or repeated visits to EPFO offices.
The announcement comes shortly after EPFO began crediting the 8.25% annual interest on EPF deposits for the financial year 2025-26. Subscribers have started receiving SMS notifications confirming that the interest has been credited to their accounts, providing another boost to retirement savings.
ALSO READ: EPFO Starts Crediting 8.25% Interest, Here's How To Check If Your PF Balance Has Been Updated
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