India's EPFO to launch ATM and UPI withdrawals for provident fund members

The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is preparing a digital upgrade, dubbed EPFO 3.0, that will let members withdraw a portion of their PF savings through UPI‑enabled ATMs and directly via UPI. Under the proposed framework, subscribers could access 50‑75 % of their balance while a mandatory 25 % buffer remains untouched. Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said testing is complete and the service is slated for gradual rollout, possibly by 2026.

The new facility will require an active UAN, Aadhaar linkage, a linked bank account and full KYC. Withdrawals will be processed instantly after PIN/OTP verification, reducing the current waiting period of several days. The pension component under the Employees' Pension Scheme will not be affected. EPFO has also raised the auto‑settlement claim limit to INR 5 lakh to speed up smaller withdrawals for housing, education, marriage or medical needs.