EPF Scheme 2026: ₹9,330 crore still unclaimed in inactive PF accounts

As of March 31, 2025, there were 31.83 lakh inoperative EPF accounts with an unclaimed balance of around ₹10,181 crore. AI Quick ReadThe Centre has notified the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) Scheme, 2026, replacing the EPF Scheme, 1952, in a move aimed at simplifying provident fund rules and digitising services for nearly eight crore active subscribers.

However, fresh data obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) application suggests that a significant amount of workers' retirement savings continues to remain unclaimed. According to an RTI response accessed by India Today, more than ₹9,330 crore is lying in 30.91 lakh inoperative EPF accounts as of March 31, 2026.

According to the RTI response, the dormant accounts collectively held around ₹9,330 crore at the end of FY26.

The figures show a marginal improvement from the previous financial year. As of March 31, 2025, there were 31.83 lakh inoperative EPF accounts with an unclaimed balance of around ₹10,181 crore. During FY26, the number of inactive accounts declined by nearly 92,000, while the unclaimed corpus fell by about ₹851 crore.

While the decline indicates some progress, nearly 31 lakh dormant accounts and thousands of crores in retirement savings remain unclaimed.

According to the India Today report, the RTI application sought year-wise data on inoperative EPF accounts for the previous five financial years to understand whether the problem has been growing over time.

However, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) said it could provide information only for FY25 and FY26. It stated that the Inoperative Accounts Cell (IAC) was established during 2025-26 and that earlier information is not maintained by the cell.

The RTI also sought details on the number of inactive EPF accounts linked with Aadhaar, the amount lying in those accounts and the status of auto-settlement.

The EPFO declined to disclose this information, citing provisions of the RTI Act that exempt information held by a public authority in a fiduciary relationship.

In addition, the organisation said it does not maintain separate data on inoperative EPF accounts with balances exceeding ₹5 lakh, and therefore could not provide those details.

The notification of the EPF Scheme, 2026 signals the government's push towards a more streamlined and digital provident fund system. However, the RTI data highlights that recovering unclaimed retirement savings remains a significant challenge.

The figures suggest that while the number of inactive accounts is gradually declining, a substantial amount of employees' retirement corpus continues to remain locked in dormant EPF accounts, underlining the need for greater awareness and easier claim settlement processes.

For employees who have changed jobs multiple times, ensuring that previous PF accounts are linked, transferred and regularly monitored remains an important step in safeguarding long-term retirement savings.

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