The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is set to launch a new web portal called E-PRAAPTI to help members recover their old and inoperative employee provident fund accounts. According to reports from Mint, E-PRAAPTI stands for 'Employee Provident Fund Aadhaar-Based Access Portal for Tracking Inoperative Accounts'. The portal was announced by Union Minister for Labour and Employment Mansukh Mandaviya last month, who stated that the new portal will enable EPF members to access accounts even those without the universal account number (UAN).
As reported by Mint, the E-PRAAPTI portal will provide a streamlined Aadhaar-based authentication mechanism to help members access old EPF accounts that may not have a UAN and update their profile after UAN linking and activation. In the initial phase of the roll-out, the portal will be member ID-based to ensure security and efficiency. In later phases, the scope is envisioned to expand to include members who may not be able to recall or access their old IDs. According to Minister Mandaviya, the platform is expected to reduce manual intervention, minimise documentation, and enhance transparency and efficiency.
According to Mint, the EPFO settled a record 8.31 crore claims in FY26, compared to 6.01 crore in FY25. Of these, some 5.51 crore claims came for advance or partial withdrawals, reflecting the ease of access to provident fund accounts for members to draw upon their savings. Around 71.11% of advance claims were processed through auto mode within 3 days, up from 59.19% in the previous year. About 6.68 crore members were able to file their claims without uploading a cheque leaf image, while 1.59 crore members were able to seed their bank accounts without seeking employers' approval.
As reported by Mint, the EPFO's digital transformation showed significant improvements in April 2026 alone, with 61.03 lakh claims settled and nearly 74% of PF advance claims processed through auto mode. 98.70% of claims were settled in less than 20 days. Additionally, 24.84 lakh transfer requests were initiated by members themselves without any employer's intervention, while 29.34 lakh members were able to correct their profiles and access their PF accounts without reference to the EPF office or employer. The new portal is expected to give older EPF members relief regarding abandoned or lost accounts and provide a chance to recover retirement funds.
According to The Economic Times, EPFO will soon automate the process for settling final provident fund withdrawal claims, fast-tracking the money transfer to the applicant's bank accounts. Currently, partial or advance withdrawal claims of up to ₹5 lakh are settled through auto mode with a three-day deadline. Speaking at the ASSOCHAM's National Seminar on New Labour Codes, Central Provident Fund Commissioner Ramesh Krishnamurthi announced that the EPFO is expanding auto-settlement to include final withdrawal claims, not just advances. The commissioner also revealed plans for auto-migration of accounts when members shift employers, eliminating the need to file forms and automatically transferring funds to the latest member account.
