The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has implemented the EPF Scheme 2026, which came into effect this week and replaces the erstwhile EPF Scheme 1952. According to reports from Mint, this new scheme includes updated conditions for partial withdrawals, with members now required to maintain a 25% minimum balance in their EPF account at all times. Under the new rules, subscribers can access a maximum of 75% of their corpus during partial withdrawal, with specific eligibility conditions including medical treatment, education, marriage, housing, special circumstances, and exit from employment.
Documentation and profile mistakes remain the most common reasons for EPF claim rejections, as reported by Mint. Key issues include unclear cheque or passbook scans for non-NPCI accounts, where uploaded images without names or blurry images automatically trigger system rejections. Demographic details mismatch is another critical issue, with minor spelling discrepancies in names, father's names, or dates of birth resulting in instant rejection. Members must ensure perfect matching across EPFO, Aadhaar, and bank records to avoid delays.
Signature or IFSC changes due to bank mergers can cause claim rejections, as reported by Mint. For example, when Allahabad Bank merged into Indian Bank, the old IFSC becomes invalid and members must update their KYC with the new IFSC before filing claims. Missing employer exit dates for Form 19 final settlement claims are another common issue, where employers have not officially updated exit dates on the portal, blocking the system from processing final settlement requests.
According to Mint, EPF members can use Form 19 for final PF settlement to withdraw absolute EPF balance after retirement or resignation with continuous unemployment for at least 60 days. Form 10C allows pension withdrawal benefits for members with less than 10 years of service, while Form 31 enables partial PF advances for medical emergencies, marriages, home loan repayments, or natural calamities. Members must ensure their UAN is linked with Aadhaar and that employer exit credentials are updated on the EPFO website before filing claims.
