The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has increased the auto-settlement limit for advance claims from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, helping subscribers access funds quickly for medical treatment, marriage, housing, or education.
Claims will be processed automatically and settled within three working days, said the Press Information Bureau (PIB) in a statement on Tuesday.
What is Auto-Settlement?
The auto-settlement facility was introduced during Covid-19 to enable quick disbursal of EPF advances, according to PIB. It was later extended to cover non-pandemic purposes such as medical treatment, children’s education, marriage, and housing.
The system automatically processes claims without manual checks, ensuring transparency, speed, and minimal delays.
The EPFO's automation drive has shown visible results:
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As many as 23.4 million claims were processed through auto-settlement in FY25: a 161 per cent rise over the previous year, according to the PIB release.
Of the total advance claims that year, 59 per cent were handled through the automated system.
In the first 2.5 months of FY26, 765,200 lakh claims have already been auto-settled, making up around 70 per cent of all advance settlements so far.
PIB highlighted that this rapid growth reflects EPFO’s strong focus on leveraging technology to speed up claim settlement and reduce member complaints.
Mandaviya calls it a pro-worker move
Union Minister for Labour and Employment, Mansukh Mandaviya, welcomed the decision in a post on X, saying: “EPFO increases auto claim settlement limit from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. Now claims will be settled in just 3 days! This step will benefit crores of workers and empower them with faster access to their hard-earned money.”
What does this mean for EPF members?
With the revised limit, more high-value claims, particularly those involving medical costs or home-related expenses, will now qualify for fast-track processing under the auto-settlement route.
The PIB release underlined that this change is part of the government’s broader push toward ‘process simplification and technology adoption’ in EPFO to improve ease of living for members.

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