Hyderabad: In a move that signals a major shift in how Employee Provident Fund (EPF) claims are processed, claimants no longer need to submit supporting documents to partially withdraw their PF. A simple self-declaration now suffices — a change that has drastically simplified the process and eliminated the need for claimants to forge documents, a practice that was once common.
“Earlier, people had to lie about marriage, house construction, or land purchase to justify withdrawals. Forged documents were often submitted, and in many cases, show-cause notices were issued. But that’s all in the past now,” said Sunder of Srinivasan Sales and Services, a long-time HR professional familiar with PF claims.
Under the new system, partial withdrawals for reasons such as marriage, health emergencies, or home construction require no physical documentation. The employee only needs to state the reason in a self-declaration — making the process significantly quicker and more transparent.
Among withdrawal requests, health-related emergencies are the most common, especially for smaller sums under Rs 1 lakh. However, housing-related claims, involving larger amounts, are processed separately due to their complexity.
This overhaul in the claim process has led to faster settlements. In the current financial year 2025-26, around 49 percent of claims have been settled within just three days, an improvement over the 38 percent in the previous year. However, officials acknowledge that policy reforms are needed to push this number closer to 100 percent claim resolution, the target for the near future, an official from EPFO told Millennium post.
Another long-standing issue — the complex joint declaration process — has also been digitised. This process was lengthy and opaque for updating details like name, date of birth, or marital status in a member’s PF profile. “The joint declaration system has become much easier. It’s all online now,” said Srinivas, who heads HR at Talent Solutions. “Earlier, even small changes required multiple visits and paperwork. Now, it’s seamless.”
While automation has improved the system, some challenges remain. The EPFO grievance cell reveals that most complaints relate to claim rejections, often without clear explanation. “Many calls come from members asking why their claims were denied. Earlier, joint declaration issues were a major reason, but that’s improved,” said an official familiar with grievance data.
With improved automation, digitised declarations, and simpler processes, India’s PF system is becoming more worker-friendly. But experts believe more needs to be done to ensure 100 per cent claim redressal — making the system not just fast, but foolproof.