EPFO Begins FY26 Provident Fund Interest Credit Process; Members Can Check Updates by July 15

New Delhi, July 8: The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has started processing the interest credit on provident fund accounts for the financial year 2025-26, with members expected to see the updated amount in their passbooks by July 15, Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Wednesday. The minister said the annual interest of 8.25 per cent approved for FY26 will be automatically processed for nearly 34 crore member accounts, involving an estimated amount of over ₹1.44 lakh crore. The interest entries will be verified by field authorities before being reflected in members’ account balances. Mandaviya said EPFO’s new Centralised IT-enabled Services (CITES) system has enabled online access to provident fund accounts while improving transparency, efficiency and convenience for subscribers. Under the upgraded system, EPFO has shifted its member records to a centralised database, allowing members to access services from any authorised location across the country, similar to banking services. The new platform will provide a unified digital interface for checking PF balances, claim status, pension records and other benefits. Claim settlements will also be processed through faster electronic payment channels for quicker and secure transfers. The minister highlighted that interest calculation for final PF settlements will now continue until the date of payment authorisation, replacing the earlier practice of calculating it only up to the previous month’s end. The revised system has also simplified partial withdrawals by merging 13 categories into three broad groups — essential needs, housing requirements and special circumstances. Members can now withdraw up to 75 per cent of their total PF balance. Additionally, job switchers with Aadhaar-linked UAN accounts will no longer need to submit separate transfer applications, as transfers will be automatically initiated and settled. Under the centralised pension payment system, pensioners will also be able to receive payments through any bank account across the country, removing the earlier restriction linked to specific bank branches.