Lost an old PF account? EPFO's new portal may help you reclaim your money
New Delhi, Apr 30, 2026
The portal, E-PRAAPTI, will provide a streamlined Aadhaar-based authentication mechanism that will enable a member to access an old EPF account,
If you’ve changed jobs multiple times, there’s a good chance some of your provident fund (PF) money is sitting in an old, inactive account—forgotten, unclaimed, or simply too complicated to access.
Now, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is preparing to fix that.
Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has announced a new portal—E-PRAAPTI—designed to help users track, access, and activate old or inoperative PF accounts with far less friction.
Why this matters for you
For many salaried Indians, PF is one of the largest long-term savings pools. But over the years:
• Jobs change
• Companies shut down
• Old PF accounts get forgotten
• UAN linkage is missing
The result?
Thousands—or even lakhs—of your own money could be sitting idle.
The new portal aims to make sure you can find and reclaim that money easily.
What is E-PRAAPTI—and how it helps
E-PRAAPTI (Employee Provident Fund Aadhaar-Based Access Portal for Tracking Inoperative Accounts) is built to solve one core problem: access to old PF accounts.
Here’s what it will allow you to do:
• Track old or inactive PF accounts
• Access accounts even without a UAN
• Use Aadhaar-based authentication instead of paperwork
• Link and activate your UAN
• Update your profile seamlessly
In the first phase, the system will work through member ID-based access, ensuring a secure rollout. Later, it may even help users who don’t remember their old account details.
The bigger shift: PF is going digital—and faster
This isn’t a one-off update. It’s part of a larger transformation in how EPFO works.
8.31 crore claims settled in FY26, up from 6.01 crore in FY25
5.51 crore claims were advance withdrawals
71.11% of advance claims processed within 3 days (up from 59.19%)
98.7% of claims settled within 20 days
Even in April 2026 alone:
61.03 lakh claims were settled
Nearly 74% processed automatically
Less paperwork, more control
One of the biggest pain points for PF users has always been dependency on employers and documentation.
That’s changing rapidly:
6.68 crore members filed claims without uploading cheque images
1.59 crore users linked bank accounts without employer approval
70.55 lakh transfer claims auto-processed
24.84 lakh transfers initiated directly by members
29.34 lakh users corrected profiles independently
Translation: You’re no longer stuck chasing HR or paperwork to access your own savings.
What you should do now
Before the portal launches, you can prepare:
• Check if all your past jobs are linked to your UAN
• Ensure your Aadhaar and bank details are updated
• Keep track of old employer details or PF IDs
Once E-PRAAPTI goes live, this information will make reclaiming funds much smoother.
[The Business Standard]
